Gold Today –New York closed at $1,281.20 yesterday after closing at $1,279.20 Wednesday. London opened at $1,281.00 today. 

Overall the dollar was stronger against global currencies early today. Before London’s opening:

 -         The $: € was stronger at $1.0695 after yesterday’s $1.0766: €1.

-         The Dollar index was stronger at 99.94 after yesterday’s 99.46. 

-         The Yen was weaker at 109.18 after yesterday’s 109.03:$1. 

-         The Yuan was weaker at 6.8867 after yesterday’s 6.8837: $1. 

-         The Pound Sterling was weaker at $1.2787 after yesterday’s $1.2833: £1.

Yuan Gold Fix

Please note that the Shanghai Fixes are for 1 gm of gold. From the Middle East eastward metric measurements are used against 0.9999 quality gold. [Please note that the 0.5% difference in price can be accounted for by the higher quality of Shanghai’s gold on which their gold price is based over London’s ‘good delivery’ standard of 0.995.]

The Shanghai Gold Exchange was trading at 285.10 towards the close today. This translates into $1,282.64.

All three global gold markets are in line with each other. At this moment in time, we don’t see that the three are leading or following each other, but the closeness of prices tells us that arbitrageurs are doing a very professional job of smoothing out the gold markets across the world. New York closed $1.44 below Shanghai’s closing yesterday and today. London opened at a $1.46 discount to Shanghai in line with New York. This is the closest we have ever seen them.

LBMA price setting:  The LBMA gold price was set today at $1,281.50 from yesterday’s $1,279.90.  The gold price in the euro was set at €1,198.00 after yesterday’s €1,191.05.

Ahead of the opening of New York the gold price was trading at $1,284.15 and in the euro at €1,200.59. At the same time, the silver price was trading at $17.99. 

Silver Today –Silver closed at $18.01 yesterday after $18.14 at New York’s close Wednesday.

Gold (very short-term) The gold price should consolidate with a stronger bias, in New York today.      

Silver (very short-term) The silver price should consolidate with a stronger bias, in New York today. 

Price Drivers

The dollar is recovering against other currencies today with gold rising in the dollar. Technically gold is sitting on support, while still consolidating. [For our forecasts, subscribe throughwww.GoldForecaster.com ]

France

With the French elections taking place this weekend, after another terror attack the mood in the world remains dark. The French polls are reminding us of the polls before the U.S. election, so we do not rate their abilities too highly. There is always a danger that we get so used to the dark side of the world that it becomes a ‘new normal’ but we do expect such attacks [in Paris today] to affect voters in France. Next week could see two euro-skeptics in the run-off for the Presidency.

Expectations too high

Currency markets are behaving in an unpredictable fashion at the moment as are markets.

Equity markets are too high and not for the right reasons as the U.S. recovery is still moderate and not such that gives rise to the current record highs we are seeing. Likewise in Europe with its tentative recovery. The IMF has increased its forecasts for the coming years. We would like to see more reasons and sustainability before endorsing such opinions. There are too many potential events that could disturb such a positive picture. What we do draw from the global scene is that the environment remains positive for gold.

China

When we see China reporting an increasingly robust economy we see a nation that is doing its best to be a separately, self-sustaining economy with supplies coming from countries not under U.S. influence. We do not see the U.S. and China working interdependently with each other in the future. China will walk its own road.

Russia continues to publicize the gold it buys, with last month’s purchases just below 25 tonnes. We do believe that China continues to build up its reserves in its institutions and through its agencies, but for whatever reason, has decided not to be open about this.

Gold ETFs – Yesterday saw sales of 6.513 tonnes from the SPDR gold ETF but no change in the Gold Trust. Their holdings are now at 854.25 tonnes and at 204.36 tonnes respectively.

Since January 4th 2016, 257.256 tonnes of gold have been added to the SPDR gold ETF and to the Gold Trust.  Since January 6th 2017 47.20 tonnes have been added to the SPDR gold ETF and the Gold Trust.

Regards,

Julian D.W. Phillips