Bull Market ‘Not Over’ but Speculators Turn Bearish | Resource Investor

Bull Market ‘Not Over’ but Speculators Turn Bearish | Resource Investor

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The price of gold and gold futures dropped yet again Monday morning, recording the seventh drop in nine trading days in May so far as industrial commodities, global stock markets and the euro currency all sank amid Athens' failure to negotiate a new coalition government.

Silver bullion also fell hard, touching $28.44 per ounce and losing 8.9% from the start of this month.

The price of Spanish government debt today fell yet again, pushing 10-year yields above 6.2% ahead of an auction of new bonds later today.

Greek public-sector salaries and state pensions may be unpayable "from the beginning of June" says a letter from stand-in prime minister Lukas Papadimos to party leaders, republished by Ta Nea, after May's tranche of the international bail-out was cut and tax revenues came in below target.

"We do not think the gold bull market is over," says a note from Morgan Stanley analysts, even though "gold has moved lower and is trading at levels not seen since December 2011."

Viewed on a technical chart analysis, "Damage has certainly been done [but] we do not think it is irreversible," they add, pointing to a sharp rise in speculative "short selling" by gold futures traders now expecting prices to fall further.

"The last time positioning was at these levels, prices embarked on a move higher, rallying to near $1800 per ounce. We are buyers of gold here."

The rise in speculative short-selling of gold futures is "disconcerting" however, says Marc Ground at Standard Bank, because "while investors have over the past few weeks appeared cautious of running too short on gold, this fear seems to have evaporated."

Over in the currency markets – where the euro fell to new 4-month lows vs. the dollar at $1.2860 – "We continue to target $1.20 for euro/dollar," says Ground's colleague, currency strategist Steve Barrow.

"Whether this takes time, or comes in an instant, could depend on the outcome of Greece’s political impasse."

Energy, metal and food prices all sank once more Monday morning as European stock markets lost more than 2% of their value, with Madrid losing 3% and Athens dropping 5.3%.

At the weekend Swedish central banker Per Jansson said that "of course the question [of a Greek exit] is discussed." Irish central bank chief, and fellow European Central Bank policymaker Patrick Honohan told journalists that "technically, it can be managed."

"We wish it to be possible for Greece to remain in the euro but Greece must live up to its commitments," a spokeswoman for the European Commission said Monday morning.