It all started so well in 2018 for investors in European metal and mining stocks, as copper led a base-metals rally to multi-year highs in a time before trade turmoil gripped markets. But, as the year closes, the sector index is languishing about 25 percent below its June peak.Fractious rhetoric between Washington and Beijing over tariffs, plus growing worries about the state of China's economy un...Read More
The Dow is eyeing a second straight win at middayThe Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is gaining for the second straight day, as Caterpillar (CAT) pops on the latest trade news. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are higher, as well, though today's gains are coming amid low trading volume, with traders taking a wait-and-see approach before the Fed's policy decision this afternoo...Read More
The company's 2019 forecast exceeded expectationsShares of Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) are up 3.2% to trade at $109.85, after the company issued 2019 guidance above analyst expectations. The pharmaceutical giant cited high demand for some of its newer medicines, and lifted its quarterly dividend by 15%. LLY stock has remained relatively strong amid the broader stock market correction. The shares t...Read More
A pair of retail stocks could suffer after the Fed statementDespite public pleading from President Donald Trump and recent dovish commentary from Fed Chair Jerome Powell and company, the Fed is widely expected to announce another rate hike this afternoon. Since the current tightening cycle began in 2015, rate hikes have preceded weaker-than-usual price action for the broader S&P 500 Index (SPX). W...Read More
Morgan Stanley said the bottom still isn't in sight for the chip sectorAs Wall Street digests a post-earnings slide from Micron Technology (MU), other chip stocks are in focus, as well. This follows a note out of Morgan Stanley that urged investors to "stay cautious" on the semiconductor industry, with the firm calling out weakness from almost all key markets, on top of valuations it still sees as...Read More
ReutersFederal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivers the semi-annual Monetary Policy Report to the House Financial Services Committee. When Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central bank is data dependent, a fair question to ask is, what data? Looking at the minutes from previous Federal Open Market Committee decisions - and from the economic review the staff makes in particular -...Read More
UAA stock is lower after the bear noteJ.P. Morgan Securities cut its price target on Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UAA)to $21 from $25, though this is still an 11.6% premium to last night's close. In reaction, UAA stock is down 1.2% to trade at $18.58, but finding support near its 320-day moving average, which served as a floor in late October, too.The pullback to this trendline could signal a short-term...Read More
Mnuchin said the U.S. and China will begin face-to-face negotiations in JanuaryIt's set to be another positive session on Wall Street today, with Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures trading above fair value this morning. Traders are reacting to new U.S.-China trade headlines, with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin telling Bloomberg News that the two countries will meet next month to restart...Read More
There is ample room for a further shift in sentiment toward MUThe shares of Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MU) are down 8.5% in electronic trading after the chipmaker's quarterly report. Micron revealed weaker-than-expected sales for its fiscal first-quarter, but more importantly gave a cautious outlook for 2019, with CEO Sanjay Mehrotra citing weak industry trends. In response, Needham and RBC d...Read More
AngloGold Ashanti Ltd. is considering listing its shares in either London or Toronto in a move that could see the company hive off its remaining South African operations, according to people familiar with the situation.While no final decision has been made, the world's third-largest gold producer has been discussing the plan internally and with advisers, said the people, who asked not to be identi...Read More
Scotgold Resources (LON: SGZ), the company aiming at opening Scotland's first commercial gold and silver mine, said Wednesday that it was ready is to start rock-breaking in the new year after receiving the green light.The company, which completed 19 permitting conditions and other related obligations for its Cononish project, near Tyndrum, said the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Pla...Read More
How the S&P 500 has historically performed over the next two holiday weeks Before the month started, I had an article showing the typical December returns over different time frames. The chart is below with the current December return. It completely distorts the axis but it's clear that things have not gone as expected. It's the worst start to December since 1931, which was early in the Great Depr...Read More
After five years of negotiations, Havilah Resources (ASX: HAV) has signed a Native Title Mining Agreement for its Kalkaroo copper-cobalt-gold project, northeast of Adelaide in South Australia.Kalkaroo is believed to be the largest undeveloped open pit copper-gold deposit in Australia on a copper-equivalent ore reserve basis. The signing of the new deal increases Havilah's chances of being granted...Read More
Following months of speculation on its ability to buy new assets, Canadian miner Hudbay Minerals (TSX, NYSE: HBM) announced today it has completed the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Mason Resources (TSX:MNR) it did not already own. Each common share was bought at a price of C$0.40.The transaction was closed for about C$31 million, as Hudbay took over the remainin...Read More
CloseGain/LossGold $1242.00-$7.30Silver$14.58-$0.06XAU66.61-5.67%HUI150.99-5.83%GDM558.39-4.33%JSE Gold1355.53+27.10USD97.06UNCHEuro113.72+0.08Yen89.30+0.12Oil$47.20+$0.9610-Year2.780%-0.043T-Bond144.84375+0.375Dow23323.66-1.49%Nasdaq6636.83-2.17%S&P2506.96-1.54% The Metals: Gold edged up to $1251.40 in Asia before it dropped back to $1246.80 in London and then jumped up...Read More
By David SmithOver a year ago in this space, you may have read my rationale for not closing out core metals and mining stock positions after the May 2011 intermediate top (which turned out to be a longer term!) in the resource sector. (By the way, David Morgan called that top to his subscribers -- to the day.)I held those positions in spite of having written down on paper a decade earlier my int...Read More
By Ira Epstein https://www.iraepstein.com/ Read More
By Frank HolmesCommodity traders appear excited about gold again as stocks are on pace for their worst year since 2008, and their worst December since 1931. Bullish bets on the yellow metal outnumbered bearish ones for the week ended December 11, resulting in the first instance of net positive contracts since July, according to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data.click to enlargeAs...Read More
As part of Merk's in-house research we regularly evaluate a consistent set of charts covering the economy, equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies. The aim is to keep our eyes open and to look through the noise of the headlines, avoiding the distractions of sensationalized click-bait. In sharing this content, we offer a cross-check to your own thinking and aim to add value to your own...Read More