Without question, the investment world is not sure at all as to why gold (KRY) is running.
For the first time since the year 2001, the gold bull market is running on three simultaneous major highways --- in Europe, in Asia, and in the United States. For all of 2002, 2003, 2004, the only evidence of a gold bull market was perceptible in the USA. During those three years, gold struggled in both euro currency and Japanese yen currency, without any semblance of a bull rally. The US markets ballyhooed a gold bull arrival and march, but the rest of the world was mute with yawns. There was no bull market outside the land of the USDollar. THAT IS NO LONGER, AS GOLD SINGS IN THREE-PART HARMONY !!!
The Swiss bankers do not make much news. One can safely surmise that the Swiss and Germans are going with gold, and turning their backs slowly on the US Treasury Bond as a reserve investment. The strain on N.A.T.O. from the Iraqi War and its Reconstruction effort has put political pressures to bear on support of the irresponsible US spending patterns. Or should it be called what it is? ... the bankrupt US financial condition!!! The death of Saudi King Fahd, and the succession with King Adbullah, has led to some magnificent changes. Saudis have brought home $350 billion from Western banks. Saudi workers have received a 15% pay hike. Abdullah is reported to have transferred considerable sums of US$-based investments toward European destinations. My personal take is that Abdullah will "talk nice" to us Americans, but behind our backs, he will "put the screws" to the US financial house. The new king wishes to make his imprint on the Saudi Kingdom, and send a message to the West. And then you have the Russians, who hold the spearhead for euro-based oil and natural gas transaction sales. Europe will secretly root on Putin and the Russian stealth initiative to install the euro as an official petro currency. My personal hunch is that Europeans are fast losing faith with those mismanaging the US Economy and the USDollar. US leaders no longer consult with European leaders. Instead, we shove our decisions down their throats, and criticize them when they fail to support our ill-advised maneuvers often which require that we take first helpings at the dinner table, only to leave them the leftover scraps. See Halliburton, Bechtel, and the Iraqi contracts.
GOLD IN USDOLLAR TERMS
Behold the breakout for gold in the United States. The 470 level was penetrated on the December futures contract, but not quite on the spot market. My target from the chart is 495, with a flirt of 500 before the end of Jan2006. It could come as quickly as a thief in the night, and hit the 500 psychological objective before Christmas.