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Greenspan Backs Gold as World Currency

Commodities / Gold & Silver Jul 16, 2008 - 07:59 AM GMT

By: Mark_OByrne

Commodities Gold finished trading in New York yesterday at $977.10, up $5.00 and silver was down to $18.92, down 27 cents. Gold fell in Asia before rising in early European trading.

Gold rallied strongly in early trading yesterday on higher oil, a lower dollar and increasing macroeconomic and systemic risk prior to the sharp fall in oil prices (some $10 in a short period of time ) which led to a selloff in precious metals. Despite the sharp selloff in oil, gold again remained resilient and finished some 0.5% higher in New York. The sharp fall in the oil price was attributed to margin calls due to equity losses and to fears of demand destruction due to the slowing U.S. and international economies.


Gold was up some 7% in the previous 5 trading days (from below $920 to over $983) and a correction and consolidation is to be expected.

Oil and the dollar are unchanged so far today and the gold market may get direction from developments in the financial sphere and from increasing risk aversion.

Alan Greenspan: "Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world” - From Credit Crunch to Solvency Crunch
Gold will likely continue to outperform all asset classes with solvency and systemic risk increasing.

During the Savings and Loan Crisis in late 1980s and early 1990's more than 1,000 federally insured institutions went bankrupt. The debacle, the greatest collapse of American financial institutions since the Depression, prompted a government bailout that cost taxpayers about $125 billion.

Today, the troubles are growing so rapidly that a similar number of the 7,500 banks nationwide could fail over the next 12 to 18 months. Other lenders are likely to shut branches or seek mergers.

Besides Indymac, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Lehman Brothers there are increasing concerns regarding Wachovia, Bank of America , Washington Mutual , National City Corporation , Santander BanCorp and Flagstar Bancorp . Other financial institutions at risk of failing are Downey Financial, Corus Bankshares, Doral Financial, IndyMac Bancorp, FirstFed Financial, Oriental Financial Group and Bank United Financial. These banks may have fatal credit concerns that may lead to bankruptcy.

Today's problems dwarf the relatively minor problems of the late 1980's which only cost the taxpayer some $125 billion and the bankruptcies were of smaller regional banks and did not affect Wall Street investment banks and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Thus, systemic risk did not develop in the Savings and Loan Crisis.

Respected Bridgewater Associates recently published a study that estimated losses to financial institutions of more than $1.6 trillion dollars in the current crisis. This was prior to the news regarding Indymac and Fannie and Freddie. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac own or guarantee more than half of the $12 trillion of U.S. home loans. Indymac, with $32 billion in assets is America's second biggest bank failure ever. At least $3 trillion of inferior loans probably remain on Indymac books at present and the amount of inferior loans will grow as economic conditions continue to weaken.

This is now a credit and solvency crisis. As George Soros recently pointed out “Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have a solvency crisis not a liquidity crisis. They are both "extremely leveraged" and  "the deterioration in the housing market, the foreclosures are going to cause losses which exceed their equity" he said.

Gold is a safe haven asset and the only asset class that is not someone else's liability and this is why it is thriving in the current environment and will likely reach it's inflation adjusted high of $2,300 per ounce in the coming 3 to 5 years.

Gold is the only finite currency - as JP Morgan once testified to Congress, “Gold is money and nothing else”. Even more pertinently and more recently Alan Greenspan said "Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world. . . . Fiat money, in extremis, is accepted by nobody. Gold is always accepted" (Speech to Senate Banking Committee in May 1999).

Gold remains the ultimate safe haven asset and all portfolios should have a minimum allocation of 10%. Given the extent of current macroeconomic and systemic risk, an increase in this allocation to at least 20% would be very prudent.

Today's Data and Influences
Today sees the release of a number of important US indicators, including the June CPI, which may influence markets. Bernanke delivers his second testimony this afternoon. The minutes of the last FOMC meeting (24/25 th June) are also scheduled.

Silver
Silver is trading at $18.90/18.94 per ounce (1200 GMT).

PGMs

Platinum is trading at $1947/1957 per ounce (1200 GMT).
Palladium is trading at $437/441 per ounce (1200  GMT).

By Mark O'Byrne, Executive Director

Gold Investments
63 Fitzwilliam Square
Dublin 2
Ireland
Ph +353 1 6325010
Fax  +353 1 6619664
Email info@gold.ie
Web www.gold.ie
Gold and Silver Investments Limited
No. 1 Cornhill
London,
EC3V 3ND
United Kingdom
Ph +44 (0) 207 0604653
Fax +44 (0) 207 8770708
Email info@www.goldassets.co.uk
Web www.goldassets.co.uk

Gold and Silver Investments Ltd. have been awarded the MoneyMate and Investor Magazine Financial Analyst of 2006.

Mission Statement
Gold and Silver Investments Limited hope to inform our clientele of important financial and economic developments and thus help our clientele and prospective clientele understand our rapidly changing global economy and the implications for their livelihoods and wealth.
We focus on the medium and long term global macroeconomic trends and how they pertain to the precious metal markets and our clienteles savings, investments and livelihoods. We emphasise prudence, safety and security as they are of paramount importance in the preservation of wealth.

Financial Regulation: Gold & Silver Investments Limited trading as Gold Investments is regulated by the Financial Regulator as a multi-agency intermediary. Our Financial Regulator Reference Number is 39656. Gold Investments is registered in the Companies Registration Office under Company number 377252 . Registered for VAT under number 6397252A . Codes of Conduct are imposed by the Financial Regulator and can be accessed at www.financialregulator.ie or from the Financial Regulator at PO Box 9138, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland. Property, Commodities and Precious Metals are not regulated by the Financial Regulator

Disclaimer: The information in this document has been obtained from sources, which we believe to be reliable. We cannot guarantee its accuracy or completeness. It does not constitute a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any investment. Any person acting on the information contained in this document does so at their own risk. Recommendations in this document may not be suitable for all investors. Individual circumstances should be considered before a decision to invest is taken. Investors should note the following: The value of investments may fall or rise against investors' interests. Income levels from investments may fluctuate. Changes in exchange rates may have an adverse effect on the value of, or income from, investments denominated in foreign currencies. Past experience is not necessarily a guide to future performance.

All the opinions expressed herein are solely those of Gold & Silver Investments Limited and not those of the Perth Mint. They do not reflect the views of the Perth Mint and the Perth Mint accepts no legal liability or responsibility for any claims made or opinions expressed herein.

Mark O'Byrne Archive

© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


Comments

Ryan Lavelle
16 Jul 08, 10:04
Gold standard

Sir Alan Greenspan once again shows who his employer is - the British Crown, in this genocidal call for a return to the gold standard.


Andrew Clifford
16 Jul 08, 11:16
Precious Metal Standard

After the fiat currency insanity now sense is being spoken. But years too late! Why couldn't Greenspan have had this revelation 15 years ago?

A composite precious metal standard is required for world currency fiscal security (Gold, silver, platinum etc). Ask any Austrian economist. Surely the fact that we are on the brink of systemic failure is finally getting through to central bankers...


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