Gold Prices Dip As U.S. Dollar Strengthens

By Investor's Business Daily September 24, 2012, 03:08:00 PM EDT

Gold and silver prices pulled back from their six-month highs Monday as the dollar found support at its 10-month low.

Spot gold prices fell 0.62% to $1,763 an ounce. It's risen four months in a row, gaining 8.25% this month. Profit-taking after a five-week winning run is in order.

"Gold is likely to have an all-time average high price this year and next year," Jason Schenker, chief investment officer at Prestige Asset Management in Austin, Texas. "A spike to $2,000 is easily imaginable in the next six months, and the average price of gold next year is likely to be between $1,750 and $2,000 per ounce or more."

"Although QE (quantitative easing) ad infinitum with exceptionally low rates through mid-2015 has been implemented, the Federal Open Market Committee has also hinted that it may implement other accommodative policies if the efficacy of current policies is not high," Schenker said. "If the Fed announces additional quantitative easing or other accommodative nontraditional monetary policies, gold prices could spike even higher."

PowerShares DB U.S. Dollar Index Bullish ( UUP ), measuring the dollar against a basket of foreign currencies, rose 0.29% to 21.81.

Gold Price Resistance

Gold appears to have hit key price resistance at $1,800 an ounce and won't likely break that level until well into the fourth quarter, Walter de Wet, a commodities analyst at Standard Bank, wrote in a client note Monday.

"We estimate the gold at $1,770 already prices in more than $600 billion of QE (quantitative easing) from the Fed," de Wet wrote. "At $40 billion worth of securities purchased per month by the Fed, this implies that the gold price, in our view, reflects more than 15 months of stimulus already."

He believes gold prices have gone up too far too fast, noting that physical demand for the yellow metal has slowed above $1,760 an ounce.

"General market consensus appears to be that the Fed could pursue a stimulus program much longer than the next 15 months; implying gold should go higher too," de Wet added. "We do not disagree with this, but do think fundamentals need to catch up with the price first."

He expects gold will find support at $1,750 to $1,725 an ounce. He believes its fair market value is $1,740 an ounce.

SPDR Gold Shares ( GLD ), which represents roughly a 10th of an ounce of the bullion, fell 0.67% to 170.81.

Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF ( GDX ) fell 3.21% to 53.05. It's vaulted 36% off of its 52-week low in May.Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners ETF ( GDXJ ) dropped 4.4% to 24.34. It's leapt 41% from its 52-week low and has been on a tear for three months straight. Some strategists believe the move is bound to get tired.

"The run off the bottom in the junior gold miner ETFs is likely to give back a third to a half of the move and spend time building a base" said Keith Newcomb, portfolio manager at Full Life Financial in Nashville, Tenn. "Recent momentum readings do not confirm an investable uptrend, according to my analysis. I wouldn't suggest chasing them."

Follow Trang Ho on Twitter @TrangHoETFs .




The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The NASDAQ OMX Group, Inc.


This article appears in: Investing, ETFs

Referenced Stocks: GDX, GDXJ, GLD, UUP



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