Gold Halted As Prices Spike Higher; Stocks Stumbling

Gold (>$1260) and silver (>$20) are extending yesterday's gains as US markets awake this morning. The crack higher at around 8:07ET caused the futures market to be halted after 3,000 Gold Futures contracts traded in one second at 08:07:45 on December 10, 2013 sending the price up $10 and tripping circuit breakers for 10 seconds. Silver is now +4% on the week and gold +2.5% as Treasuries are also bid. Stocks are stumbling overnight, driven by the "fundamentals" of a drop in EURJPY after it tagged 142 overnight and fell back.

PMs spiking again at the US open...

And halted at 8:07 - as Nanex shows,

About 3,000 Gold Futures contracts traded in one second at 08:07:45 on December 10, 2013 sending the price up $10 and tripping circuit breakers which halted trading for 10 seconds. This sort of thing is happening far too often: see also the drops on April 12, 2013, September 12, 2013, October 11, 2013, November 20, 2013 and November 25, 2013 which also resulted in trading halts.

1. February 2014 Gold (GC) Futures Trades.

2. February 2014 Gold (GC) Futures Trades - Zoom.

3. February 2014 Gold (GC) Futures Depth of Book (how to read).

and stocks tumbling to play catch up to JPY carry...

and Treasuries are bid...