The John Brimelow Report
IMF considered
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Indian ex-duty premiums: AM $7.69, PM $7.83, with world gold at $412.40 and $411 35. Ample for legal imports. The Reserve Bank of India is said to have intervened today to prevent the rupee following the rise of the dollar.
UBS remarks this morning:
"One of the most interesting factors in the gold market in 2005 has been very strong physical demand, mostly from India, Japan and other Asia and to a lesser extent Europe. This week has seen further demand, although at a slower rate than was noted in January."
Physical demand, of course, was far from absent in late 2004. As to recent demand, Reuters says today:
"In Singapore, premiums inched up to 60 U.S. cents an ounce from 50 cents last week, indicating that consumers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand were buying gold at the lower prices." Gold stands today at a 4-year low in Thailand.
The ECB announced gold sales last week from subordinate banks of 81 Mm Euros, about 7.9 tonnes, rather more than in previous weeks.
TOCOM stepped aside. World gold did go out $1.30 below NY with the active contact up 7 yen, but volume was down 53% to only equal 11,895 Comex lots and open interest was static (down 27 Comex). Japan is not currently influential in gold.
Last night Refco Research issued a short call on gold, probably the first in half a dozen gold forays:
TRADE RECOMMENDATIONS:
Sell 1 April gold at market. Risk 420 (intra-day). Expect 405. Every momentum (or even short term chartist) must feel the same impulse. Rothschild – Sydney said yesterday:
"It now seems only a matter of time before we will see a net speculative short position."
A situation normally seen only at major lows.
A good exemplification of the curiousness surrounding gold commentary appeared to day on Reuters :
"IMF seen favoring gold sales over revaluation"
By Lesley Wroughton
WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is likely to favor sales over revaluation …analysts said… most analysts think the Washington-based lender's best course would be to sell some of its gold stocks rather than revalue them. While revaluing the gold stocks would increase the carrying price of the gold on the IMF's books, analysts said, it would not provide cash to fund the debt write-off. It would also come with costs for certain borrowers and shareholders."
In fact, of course, as discussed yesterday, most analysts actually involved in the gold business, who tend to be mildly literate in Financial matters, are bemused that anything except a revaluation/debt write-off would be considered.