From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

A risk-off tone is blanketing the precious metal space as a key data point suggests more pain ahead…

Silver is underperforming gold.

Check out silver undercutting a shelf of former lows relative to gold:

The breakdown signals a lack of interest or risk-seeking behavior in the higher-beta vehicle.

When silver fails to catch a relative bid, the entire precious metals space tends to follow. 

Last month’s breakout in the Silver Miners ETF $SIL is failing to hold:

It’s simple: We can’t carry a long SIL position if it trades below 28.

These stocks will eventually resolve higher. But sellers have the upper hand for now.

The Gold Miners ETF $GDX is also sliding:

The 30 level remains our line in the sand. I don’t want anything to do with GDX below that level. 

It’s hard to imagine gold futures decisively breaking to new all-time highs while GDX trades below its former 2016 high.  

The same analysis applies to the MSCI Global Gold Miners ETF $RING:

The next secular bull run for gold mining stocks remains on hold...

This is the video recording of our January 2nd Monthly Charts Live Strategy Session

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

The first day of trading is full of uncertainty and excitement. 

Aren’t they all!

Yet the new year brings one promise: events that have yet to come.

As corny as it sounds, it’s true.

Sure, precious metal bulls see new all-time highs for gold on the horizon.

I’m right there with them.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves on day one.

Instead, let’s start the year with a long-term chart of gold…

Here’s a monthly candlestick chart zoomed out roughly 30 years:

The main takeaway to start the year: Gold has yet to break out. 

Yes, gold recently hit a new all-time high. But it will remain a range-bound mess until buyers absorb supply at approximately 2,100. 

We can talk about gold 2,500 or 3,250 once it clears that critical supply zone.

Meanwhile, silver mining stocks are showing strength. 

The Silver Miners ETF $SIL is struggling to hold last week’s breakout as the US dollar bounces off a former support level.

We can expect near-term weakness for precious metals when the USD catches a bid, especially the...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

The buzz around gold’s new all-time high is growing – and for good reason.

New all-time highs will likely become a regular occurrence in the coming quarters. 

But while gold makes headlines, my attention is on silver mining stocks…

Check out the Silver Miners ETF $SIL carving out a potential double bottom:

SIL is printing fresh six-month highs as it trades back above its June peak.

I consider it a breakout.

Completing this near-term base will likely catapult these stocks through the polarity zone and the double bottom breakout level. 

I like SIL long – only if it’s above 28 – targeting 40 in the coming quarters.

Perhaps the upside objective sounds a bit overzealous.

But when we zoom out, it’s clear that SIL has serious ground to cover before reaching those former 2020 highs:

In fact, the 55 level marks a logical target for a longer-term position. 

Consider it our secondary target. If gold is bouncing to a steady beat of new all-time highs, SIL is running back to that decade-long resistance zone.

It’s the perfect environment for...

This is the video recording of the December 2023 Mid-month Conference Call.

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

I’ve had palladium on my mind for a while – long before gold posted a new all-time high.

Why palladium?

It all started with an extreme Commitment of Traders (COT) profile…

Check out the longer-term chart of palladium futures with the COT in the lower pane:

Commercial hedgers posted a new record-long position back in April.

Notice the sustained trends following similar commercial positions in 2012, 2016, and 2018. 

Commercials represent the strongest hands with the deepest pockets. Plus, they have inside knowledge of the supply and demand dynamics of the market in question. It’s OK to think of them as “smart money.” 

But record-long positioning isn’t a signal on its own. It doesn’t help us define our risk. It simply indicates the market structure.

Case in point: Record-breaking long positioning became the norm for commercials as price continued to fall throughout the year.

Holding a long position since the spring required deep pockets and proved a painful opportunity cost.

But the pain of owning palladium is likely behind us as long as the futures...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Last week’s fresh all-time highs left many gold bugs empty-hearted. 

The market continues to torment precious metal bulls as they wonder what could have been.

But hopes and dreams aren’t a viable strategy.

The only “what if” that concerns me is whether the yellow metal flashed a failed breakout.

Or are we simply dealing with a a premature move?

Let’s dig in…

Check out the weekly chart of gold futures, highlighting the breakout in question:

Bulls sliced through overhead supply, vaulting gold to new heights. But the bearish momentum divergence in the lower pane reveals a lack of fervor for the shiny yellow rock.

Divergences between momentum and price don’t guarantee a major reversal.

Gold can still break out as momentum divergences have a way of righting themselves. That’s why I prefer to focus on momentum regimes. They’re just more reliable.

From a structural perspective, the real nail in the coffin for gold lies just below the right shoulder trough at approximately 1,820. A decisive close below that level completes a failed inverted head-and-...

This is the video recording of our December 4th Monthly Charts Live Strategy Session

From the Desk of Louis Sykes @haumicharts

We’ve been all over this one.

Two weeks ago, we couldn’t help but discuss the impressive move out of the silver/gold ratio, pointing to risk appetite in the precious metals space.

Now, gold’s crazy little cousin is pressing up against new 52-week highs.

Just check out the chart of BlackRock’s Silver ETF $SLV rallying into this key inflection point near 23:

Not only does this level coincide with the 52-week highs proceeding a seven-month consolidation, it also represents the 62% Fibonacci retracement of this three-year range.

Make no bones about it, this is a critical level we’re watching in silver right now.

Should we see buyers continue to push the metal higher above this level, it would confirm a breakout.

Above 23.10, we like SLV long with a target at the former highs of 27.40.

But it doesn’t just stop there; let’s plan ahead into the future.

With gold again flirting with all-time highs, we’re on the cusp of a new bull market in precious metals.

In a world where silver goes on to hit our initial target of 27.40, we’ll like the setup even more than we do...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

Mining stocks are breaking out.

All four names we outlined in last week’s Gold Rush Video have triggered buy signals.

The tide appears to swing in favor of the gold bugs.

And, based on Monday’s bullish price action, perhaps it’s just the beginning.

Check out the next gold miner most likely to break loose…

Eldorado Gold $EGO is carving out a classic inverted head-and-shoulders pattern:

Risk is well-defined at the neckline, highlighted by a series of former highs.

This former resistance level reveals a significant supply zone that’s capped higher prices and subdued overzealous gold bugs since early 2021.

But that all changes on a break to new multi-year highs.

I’m long EGO on a daily close above 12.25, with an initial target of 16.50 and a secondary objective just beyond the next extension level at approximately 25.

I adjusted my longer-term aim based on the critical polarity zone coinciding with the 2016 peak:

The difference between the two levels is negligible. And I want to give precious metal mining stocks plenty of room to run.

Gold...

From the Desk of Ian Culley @IanCulley

The wait is over.

Goldbugs, rejoice.

Silver has finally found its dancing shoes!

Will it stop there? No one knows. 

But, based on last week’s price action, gold’s crazy cousin may have slipped into party mode…

Check out silver bouncing higher relative to gold:

The entire precious metals space – and interested bystanders worldwide – have eagerly awaited such a display of relative strength.

Why?

Silver outperforming gold indicates a burgeoning risk appetite for these neglected rocks. Precious metals of all colors and densities benefit from increased flows into silver-related assets.

It’s a risk-on gauge for precious metals. Now, the question turns to whether gold will complement silver’s advance.

Both metals were higher Tuesday, as gold nears a critical shelf of former highs at approximately 2,016:

That’s our level.

The path of least resistance points toward the former all-time highs if and when gold breaks above the October peak.

It remains a sideways mess until a decisive upside resolution.

Yes, goldbugs have plenty to...