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Silver Suffers The Most From Bernanke And What Is Next

While the exchange traded funds for gold (NYSEARCA: GLD TRADING –  GLD QUOTE) and copper (NYSEARCA: JJC) fell today due to investors expressing disappoint at the modest response of the Federal Reserve to declining economic growth, it was silver (NYSEARCA: SLV Trading, SLV Quote) that was off the most.

SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) fell in trading today by 0.89%.    IPath Dow Jones Copper (JJC) dropped 1.89%.  Plunging the deepest was iShares Silver Trust (SLV), off by 2.14%.

SLV Trading

SLV Bullion Trust

Traders were hoping for more aggressive action by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.  But that will not come until after the November elections in the United States.  Remember that Quantitative Easing 2 did not begin until November 2010, though it was announced at the Jackson Hole economic policy summit in August of 2010.

Silver is in what would seem to be the “sweet spot” between gold and copper.  Almost all of gold is used for investment or decorative purposes.  Almost all of The Red Metal goes for industrial needs.   For silver, it comes almost down right in the middle between commercial and a commodity for investments or jewelry.  The charts below show the trading relationship for each of the exchange traded funds when paired against each other.

JJC Copper ETF Trading

JJC Copper ETF Trading

Even though silver has a much higher industrial usage, the SLV moves along with the GLD.   As a result, it soared during Quantitative Easing 2.  Obviously, the charts reveal that most of the trading is from speculators as the JJC should move in an inverse relationship with the GLD.  That is due to gold being used almost entirely for non-industrial end uses while copper is used almost industrial for industrial uses.

Up slightly for the week as traders thought more dramatic economic stimulus efforts would result from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting  other than an extension until the end of the year for Operation Twist, the SLV is down for the last month, quarter, six months and 52 weeks of market action.  Year to date, the SLV is off by 1.48%.

For the last year, however, the SLV is down 33.35%.  Volume was up today, with the SLV below its 20-day, 50-day and 200-day moving averages.  In the most obvious trend, it is trading much lower under its 200-day day moving average at 11.67% down than underneath the 20-day moving average, beneath it by only 0.17%.  The only move worth noting in the technical indicators for silver were the long engulfing green bodies last week after Treasury Secretary Geithner’s  gloomy testimony on The Hill and more bad economic news from the US peaked buying as traders thought Quantitative Easing 3 was coming.

SLV ETF Trading

SLV ETF Trading

If traders long on silver are looking for help from Bernanke, it will not be coming until after the November election, though it could be announced when he speaks later this month at Jackson Hole.


Chris Vermeulen

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How To Trade Gold and Silver’s Volatility

Wed Aug 25th
Understanding the key differences between both gold and silver’s risk/volatility levels plays a large part in how I choose a low risk trade setup. Those of you who follow me already know the GLD etf is my favorite trading vehicle as it provides me with low risk trading setups along with a very high win rate.

Ok, let’s jump into to comparing gold and silver as trading instruments. I get the same questions from new traders all the time and I think these two questions will help clear them up.

The questions are:

1. Why don’t you give silver (SLV) trading analysis/signals?
2. Why don’t you trade silver?

My answer to the questions are simple and the chart below displays my view.

The gold (GLD) signals I provide work with silver so you can just trade silver when I have gold long or short trade. This is the reason I don’t provide much silver analysis because it’s duplicate info.

The chart below shows how gold and silver trade together when it comes to rallies and sell offs. But notice how volatile silver is while gold had a nice slow and steady trend upwards… Gold’s low volatility trending characteristics is what I love about it. Silver on the other hand is all over the place making it easy to have protective stops triggered before the majority of the trend is over. The silver charts almost always look terrible (tough to read for a direction). I really don’t like getting shaken out of a winning trade…

The pink circles show a quick short trade we did this week catching a quick 1% drop. The short trade was for FuturesTradingSignals where we capture 1-3 day extreme market sentiment shifts.

GLD – Gold ETF Trading Chart

The chart below shows several points as to why gold/silver was screaming BUY ME on Tuesday afternoon. The two things that carry 90% of the strength in my opinion are the candlestick pattern (Bullish Engulfing) and the volume surge. Those two things when seeing on virtually any time frame are a good indication to go long for 1-3 candlesticks minimum.

Gold VS Silver – 5 Minute 3 Day Chart

This chart clearly shows the power of trading a more volatile commodity with silver being the one. This week’s buy signal in gold is dwarfed by the performance of silver. Silver has always shined more in my opinion but when it comes to trading… It tougher than it looks to trade because of the wild whipsaw action it makes on a regular basis.

Gold and Silver Trading Conclusion:

In short, gold is the safe haven when it comes to actively trading. I do trade silver here and there but the size of my position is much smaller because of the difficulty level and volatility associated with it. I will not that I do trade gold and silver futures at times but for this report I focused on ETF’s.

If you want to get my Trading Analysis and ETF Trading Alerts Join My Newsletter: www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen

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Gold, Silver, Oil & SP500 ETF Trends & Reversal Levels

Trading commodities and indexes through the use of exchange traded funds sure keeps things simple for an average trader. These funds allow individual investors to buy and sell things like gold, silver, oil, the sp500 and other investments which where not available only few months ago like “wheat” for example.

One of the nice things with ETFs is that is allows everyone to follow the price of a commodity or index using any charting website and can even apply indicators to help spot key support and resistance levels using volume by price analysis. There is no need for a expensive data feeds, charting programs and you don’t have to worry about contract expiration.

Below are a few charts of the trend and my short term forecast.

GLD – Gold Bullion ETF

As you can see gold broke out of its support zone this week and popped into the next resistance level. This is very typical price action in the stock market. It is important to look at the price charts like an apartment building. It’s nothing but a bunch of floors and ceilings.

How it works; if a ball breaks though a floor it will naturally fall to the next floor and bounce. The same for if a ball breaks through a ceiling, it will hit the next ceiling then bounce back down. This is essentially how the market moves.

SLV – Silver ETF

Silver is forming a large pennant and nearing its apex. With the amount of volume traded within this large volume channel I would expect a sharp breakout once a direction is made.

USO – Oil Traded Fund

Crude oil had a funky day. Early Wednesday morning in pre-market trading we saw virtually every investment drop at the same time which was strange. Anyways the US dollar dropped sharply and oil when down also. Normally as the dollar drops oil rockets higher but that was not the case today.

Currently oil is trading between two trendlines and is trying to hold up. If we get a breakdown then we could see a sharp drop in oil over the next 1-2 weeks.

SPY- SP500 ETF Trading Fund

The SP500 is trading within a high volume channel, similar to silver. Once a breakout in either direction is made I would expect a sizable move lasting a few w

Mid-Week Commodity and Index ETF Report:

In short, the market looks bearish for the short term of 5-10 trading sessions. This is because everything looks to be trading near resistance levels. That naturally brings sellers out of the woodwork putting pressure on prices.

Silver and gold stocks tend to lead the metals sector on breakouts so it will be important to keep an eye on them as we near a possible breakout or breakdown in the metals. If you see SLV or GDX ETFs out performing the GLD gold fund by 2-3x then I would expect to see gold move higher later that session or the following day.

The US dollar trend usually helps to identify if oil will have downward pressure or not. Also energy stocks tend to lead the price of oil by a few hours and some times a day. I keep an eye on XLE energy etf for a feel of how the energy stocks are doing and also UUP US dollar fund.

As for equities tech, financials and the Russell 2K (small cap stock) tend to lead the way for the broad market. Watching XLK, XLF and IWM help to confirm breakouts.

If you would like to Get My Trading Analysis and Alerts please join my free newsletter at: www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen

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Technical View of What’s Next for Precious Metals, Stocks & the Dollar

March 14, 2010
Last weeks price action unfolded just as we expected. Money poured into stocks with the focus being on small cap, banks and technology stocks. The fact that these sectors are showing strength while utilities, health care and consumer staples lag is a good sign that investors are once again taking risks in the market.

Because investors and traders are bullish on the stock market again the money flow into the safe havens like Gold and Silver decrease. I believe this is the reason stocks moved up last week while precious metals drifted lower.

Below are three charts (Dollar, Gold and Silver) showing what I think is most likely to happen in the coming week or two.

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US Dollar Index – Daily Chart

The US Dollar has put in a very nice bounce/rally since the low in November 2009. Last month the dollar finally reached a key resistance level of 81. I have been talking about this major resistance level since January as the Dollar would find it difficult to break above this level.

Take a look at the daily chart below. You can see a head & shoulders pattern and a neckline which appears to have broken late Friday afternoon. There is a strong chance we could see 78 reached which is the measured move down. If we get follow through selling this week then I would expect 78 to be touched within 5-10 days.

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GLD & SLV ETF Trading Charts

Precious metals have been moving very well for us recently. From looking at the charts using technical analysis we were able to catch the Feb. 5th low and also the Feb. 25th low on a several ETF’s.

As you can see from the GLD and SLV charts, both metals are now in an uptrend showing bullish chart patterns and trading at support. If we see the US Dollar break down next week then be ready to go long gold, silver and stocks.

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Precious Metals, Stocks and the Dollar Trading Conclusion:

As a technical analyst the above charts are pointing to higher prices in the coming day’s which is exciting for us all. BUT when things are this perfect looking we must be very cautious as the market has way to suck people into setups like this and spit them out a couple days later for a nasty loss.

Understanding how the market moves is crucial for avoiding and/or minimizing losses when trades go against us. That is why I continue to wait for my signature low risk setup before putting any money to work.

My focus is to take the least amount of trades possible each year, only focusing on the best of the best setups. My low risk setups require downside risk to be under 3% for the investment of choice when the broad market shows signs of strength, as well. I use several different types of analysis to confirm if a setup has a high probability of winning and those which do are the trades I take along with my subscribers.

It is very important to wait for the market to confirm a move higher before taking a position with this type of setup. The market could go either way quickly and jumping the gun is not a safe bet.

Get My Precious Metals and Index ETF Trading Alerts: www.TheGoldAndOilGuy.com

Chris Vermeulen

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Gold, Silver, Oil & Nat Gas Going Wild!

Nov 4th, 2009
Precious Metals ETF have gone wild the past 2 weeks. Last week we saw gold and silver prices drop sharply as it shook out short term trader’s stop orders before breaking out and moving higher. Also there is a disconnect between the gold and the dollar.

Energy commodities like natural gas and crude oil are moving in opposite directions and look to be picking up speed. Natural gas is losing pressure and oil is on fire.

GLD ETF Trading – Pivot Trading Low
Last week we had our pivot trading low generate another buy signal for gold. Trading pivot lows is a simple trading strategy. I call them low risk setups and take advantage of buying a stock, commodity or currency after a pullback to support and when a reversal candle is formed. This chart clearly shows when you are trading with the trend buying on the dips is generally a low risk play with great up side potential.

Gold Bull Market Pivot Trading Low

Gold Bull Market Pivot Trading Low

Precious Metals ETF Trading – Gold Bullion Takes Control
This is a chart which shows the performance of gold stocks (red), silver bullion (blue) and gold bullion (green). As you can see the past 2 weeks while the market has been selling down precious metals stocks have been hit harder than silver and gold.

Because of the heavy selling in stocks recently the smart money had been going into commodities especially gold bullion. Gold stocks are a great play but this is telling us investors feel safer in physical bullion than stocks.

Gold is the most known precious metal and safe haven which is why it’s holding value better than silver and stocks. This week we are seeing gold become more valuable in several major currencies which means gold is actually making a real move higher.

Gold Bullion, Silver Bullion, Precious Metal Stocks

Gold Bullion, Silver Bullion, Precious Metal Stocks

USO ETF Trading – Breakout & Bull Flag
Crude oil has had some great breakouts this year and it looks like we are about to get another buy signal shortly. We had a breakout in Oct from the large pennant and are now flagging which is very bullish. We could see USO reach $50 in the next month or two.

Crude Oil Bull Market Breakout

Crude Oil Bull Market Breakout

UNG ETF Trading – Pivot Low or Waterfall Sell Off?
Natural gas is at a crucial level for a higher low bounce or another massive panic sell off. Trading right now with UNG is a 50/50 shot so we will just have to wait and let things unfold more before taking any action.

Natural Gas Pivot Low Bear Market

Natural Gas Pivot Low Bear Market


The Stock Markets, Precious Metals & Energy Trading Conclusion:
The market is starting to feel a little squirmy as it tries to find support. Small cap stocks continue to get crushed while blue chip (large cap) stocks are holding more of their value. Gold has broken higher this week while silver and precious metal stocks under perform their big sister Yellow Gold.

Crude oil is holding up nicely forming a 3 week bull flag and showing signs of life while natural gas continues to get hammered.

The market has been jumpy the past 2 weeks because market participants are very uneasy about the future direction of the US dollar.

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Chris Vermeulen

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DIA, UUP, GLD, SLV & XLE Funds Shift Momentum?

Today we had a reversal day for the broad market, us dollar, precious metals and oil. The market is over extended. We have seen the market rally 20% since the July low.

Inter-market analysis is important to understand because everything is related in some way. The next month will be very interesting with the US dollar trying to rally, which will put pressure on precious metals, stocks and commodities.

DIA ETF – Dow Industrial Fund
Stocks look to have formed a similar pattern as the March rally this year. The market has the same feel and price action that we saw during the June high, which is telling me we should move stops up to protect profits. Wednesday the market had an intraday reversal and that is a sign of weakness. The past four trading day’s is the same as the July bottom (multiple Doji Candles). Doji candles indicate a possible reversal.

DIA ETF Trading Newsletter

DIA ETF Trading Newsletter

Broad Market Volatility Index
Here is a weekly volatility chart that shows we are at a long term support level. The saying is, buy when the VIX is high, sell when the VIX is low. Just to be clear, I am not saying sell everything. I am just pointing out that the market is ready for a multi week correction. I am tightening my stops and limiting my position size for new log positions.

VIX Volatility Index Trading

VIX Volatility Index Trading

UUP ETF – US Dollar Intraday Price Action
The dollar sold down Wednesday, then rallied very strong into the close, indicating a shift in momentum. The dollar has been trending down for several months and ready for a bounce.

UUP US Dollar Trading Fund

UUP US Dollar Trading Fund


Precious Metals Under Pressure
Below is a chart of Gold and Silver showing the weakness on Wednesday and the sharp sell off late in the session, when the US dollar started to rally.

Precious Metals Trading Newsletter

Precious Metals Trading Newsletter

XLE Energy ETF – Intraday Chart
Energy sector moved down in the morning and managed to wiggle its way back to positive territory late in the day, but when the US dollar rallied, crude oil and the energy sector sold off sharply.

XLE Energy Trading Newsletter

XLE Energy Trading Newsletter

Inter-Market Analysis Conclusion:
In my opinion things look to be setup for a multi week shift in momentum. It looks like the US Dollar will bounce putting pressure on precious metals, stocks, and commodities like crude oil.

Stocks look ready to correct and a bounce in the dollar will trigger the correction.

Gold is at a major resistance level, and taking a breather at this level would be normal price action. Gold has also been trading in sync with stocks, so this relationship is most likely still in place. If stocks move down, so will gold.

Crude oil is having a tough time moving higher and with Wednesday’s higher than expected oil inventory levels, there will be more down side pressure.

Currently we have several profitable position and we will be tightening our stops and looking for new opportunities in the coming days.

If you would like to receive my Free Weekly Trading Reports for ETF’s or Stock Trading Reports please visit my websites: www.GoldAndOilGuy.com and www.ActiveTradingPartner.com

Chris Vermeulen