Robert Cohen's Three Drivers for the Gold Price in 2014

The Gold Report: Low interest rates, a cornerstone of recent modern Western economic policy, have proven positive for gold over the last several years. What do you see as the three primary price drivers for gold this year?

Rob Cohen: The primary price driver is global liquidity. That is fed by balance-sheet expansion in many Western countries and foreign exchange reserves, typically the result of trade deficits built up in countries such as China.

Number two is real interest rates. The Federal Reserve could tighten rates, but we don't know where inflation will be. Negative real rates are very good for gold. Mildly positive real rates are not harmful for gold. Positive real rates above 2% can stall the gold price.

"It's really hard to come up with a higher quality investment than Tahoe Resources Inc.'s Escobal."

Number three is geopolitical crisis. Strife can get priced in and out of the gold price. Continue reading "Robert Cohen's Three Drivers for the Gold Price in 2014"

Which Companies Will Bring in the Green?

The Gold Report: In a call with Sprott clients last week, you said that the junior resource market is at an intermediate-term top right now and there will be good summer entry points. Why is the market at a top now instead of May, which is more typical? Should investors wait until the summer entry points to get into good juniors?

Rick Rule: The top could continue through mid-May. If investors have positions in their portfolios that they aren't thrilled with, they should use this market to sell. One of the things I've noticed is that if an investor paid $1 for a stock and the stock is at $0.35even if the stock was valuelessthey are unwilling to sell it for $0.35. In many cases, the stocks that fell from $1 to $0.25 or $0.35 are now selling at $0.50 or $0.60. My suggestion is that this is a great time to take advantage of it.

"Tahoe Resources Inc. has one of the finest silver deposits in the world."

I want to draw people's attention to the fact that the market is up 40% in some cases from its bottom. Amazingly, people are more attracted to that than a market that exhibited bargain basement prices.

Although I believe that the market has bottomed, we're going to be in an upward channel with higher highs and higher lows, but we are certainly going to exhibit the volatility that the market is famous for. It's my suspicion that the summer doldrums will see lows that, while higher than last summer, are substantially lower than the prices that we're enjoying today.

TGR: Gold has been above $1,300/ounce ($1,300/oz) for several weeks. Is that influencing the market? Continue reading "Which Companies Will Bring in the Green?"

How to Find Wild Flowers in the Weeds

The Gold Report: In January, the exchange-traded fund SPDR Gold Trust (GLD:NYSE.Arca) outperformed its silver counterpart, the iShares Silver Trust (SLV:NYSE.Arca), by about 6%. Should investors expect gold to outperform silver for the entire year?

Michael Fowler: Gold and silver are going to perform in tandem this year. Gold is in a corrective phase at the moment. I expect it to average around $1,300/ounce ($1,300/oz) and silver to average about $21/oz. We expect gold and silver prices to increase into 2015.

TGR: We've seen a bevy of bought-deal financings to start the year. Some, like Luna Gold Corp. (LGC:TSX; LGC:BVL), are financing below current market prices. Could you provide us with some insight as to what's happening there? Continue reading "How to Find Wild Flowers in the Weeds"

Six Gold and Silver Leaders at Today's Prices

The Gold Report: Gold is up for the year. Do you expect this trend to continue?

Benjamin Asuncion: For 2014, we're officially forecasting an average gold price at $1,300/ounce ($1,300/oz). We've elected to err on the side of conservatism in our commodity forecasts, which leaves company valuations to be more reflective of operating performance than reliant on higher metal prices.

TGR: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the Daily Telegraph says if the Federal Reserve "has to back off [tapering] again, gold will have a fresh lease on life." Do you agree, and do you think the Fed is committed to tapering?

Geordie Mark: I agree that if the Fed backs off tapering, it's a total game changer for sentiment. Janet Yellen, the new Fed chair, has certainly been quite cautious as to how she's going to approach monetary policy, so right now we're in a wait and see period, but that being said, the market now appears to show a certain positive sentiment for precious metals companies.

TGR: We've seen various currency panics around the world in recent weeks. Will this lead to a flight to safety in the U.S. dollar? Continue reading "Six Gold and Silver Leaders at Today's Prices"

David Morgan: 'The Silver Bottom Is In: Time to Hold, Add and Ride It Out'

The Gold Report: When we interviewed you last, you mentioned the possibility of "resource wars" in 2014 as referenced in Michael Klare's book of the same title. What will that look like to the average investor?

David Morgan: The resource wars have already started. Look at Mexico. It has a resource that it covets very much, and that's energy. That is why the government levied a new tax designed primarily at energy but subsequently adds a 7.5% royalty on mining profits. Is it a war? Not per se, but it is detrimental to companies that operate in Mexico today and in the future. I think we will see even more of this kind of thing in 2014.

TGR: Last year was a volatile year for precious metals prices with silver going below $20/ounce ($20/oz) and gold bobbing around $1,200/oz at the end of the year. Are we still three or four years from $100/oz silver as you said in your last interview? What's going to push it to that level? Continue reading "David Morgan: 'The Silver Bottom Is In: Time to Hold, Add and Ride It Out'"