[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We MAY be at the bottom....Democrats hopes fading.....

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Stocks Climb, Commodities Fall

Stocks traded higher after better-than-expected economic data as commodities prices continued to slide. Crude-oil futures hovered near $100 a barrel and gold continued to slide back toward $900.  12:10 p.m.

[babble-on]

oil down similarly, and the dollar is bouncing off the lows. Looks like there were bubbles in places other than Real Estate

[Thebaddog]

With gold off more than $90 an ounce over two days, commodity producers were hammered again Thursday

Should I really feel the pain for the owner of a GOLD MINE?

[Go Gordon]

We MAY be at the bottom....Democrats hopes fading.....

We are not at the bottom yet. While everyone keeps looking at liquidity, foreclosures etc, the economy is heading to recession and the tool normally available to curb recessions (the lowering of interest rates) is off the table (unless the feds want the dollar to be worthless). Remember what happened to Japan when they, in the late 80's, were in the same boat we're in. They had a 10 year span with no economic growth.

[RightWhale]

Platinum was fluctuating wildly last week, plenty of warning. Nobody was caught off base by this sudden drop.

[Moonman62]

We MAY be at the bottom....Democrats hopes fading.....

I think we are seeing a rotation of commodities and into financials.

[upchuck]

We MAY be at the bottom

You may be right. I was at a local jewelry store (the guy also buys and sells gold and coins) recently. The owner and I were discussing the price of gold. He speculated that the bottom would arrive soon because all sorts of people were wandering in wanting to buy gold coins.

He pointed out that in the post this activity invariably occurred just before the bottom. He also said the smart people were the ones coming in to sell gold.

We can hope :)

[dragnet2]

We MAY be at the bottom.

When that occurs, watch for a mad rush of home buying from those investors/buyers that have been sitting on the sidelines that have been waiting to purchase.

When that happens, well, we all know what direction the home prices will go.

It's going to happen...Just a matter of when.

Oh and by the way, they just shot down that project to build 5000 homes up near Santa Clarita Ca.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

We get conflicting reports. Gold is dropping; the dollar is dropping so buy gold. News is more about advertising to work on people’s fears for the simple reason to get people to move money from one account to another. This way the hustlers free the flow of money so they can grab some for themselves. The older I get, the more cons I see.

Cynic

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

Great news, I mean, how depressing...

[FourtySeven]

Gold is never worth zero! I’m sure that’s a comfort to those who bought gold when it was $90 higher than it is today.

:-)

[sbMKE]

The unreported component of the commodity market run ups is the manner in which credit is extended to hedge funds to get in — No more than 25% of the actual contract price needs to be paid for the contract (sounds like the mortgage bubble to anyone else). 4:1 leverage on items going inflationary due to weak dollar policy is nothing short of free money and big money investors have been moving all-in at the expense of end-users.

In the UK news yesterday, trading firms have been changing terms on contracts the last couple days, right on the heels of collapsing leverage plays like the mortgage scheme put together by Bear Stearns. I just read this morning that trading firm in the UK are moving toward requiring 90% down terms on contracts, in a move that will hopefully shake out quite a bit of hedge fund play in the commodity markets. My feeling is that a lot of the boom of commodities has been boosted by nonexistent money creating artificial demand. By requiring that investors actually pay for investments, the firms can protect themselves in the face of maturing contracts - and hopefully some semblance of order will return to the markets.

[abigkahuna]

Nope, its ten thousand hedge funds facing margin calls unloading anything with cash value. Its a sell at any price to keep hope alive...

[rightinthemiddle]

Today’s Industry Highlights

Top Performing Industries % Change
Mortgage Investment +8.41%
General Entertainment +5.83%
Textile - Apparel Footwear & Accessories +5.54%
Residential Construction +4.90%
Broadcasting - Radio +4.33%

Worst Performing Industries % Change
Independent Oil & Gas -5.19%
Silver -4.45%
Gold -4.03%
Agricultural Chemicals -4.00%
Foreign Regional Banks -3.74%

from yahoo.biz

[Afronaut]

“We have absorbed a little more than half of the expected losses in the housing decline. We have seen only a third of the housing price decline that we expect.”

- Freddie Mac CEO Richard Syron, March 2008

Folks this it the the bottom of the 2nd inning, The 3rd hole, the middle of the first quarter,

you ain't seen nothing yet!

[B4Ranch]

Publius, good call!

george76, are you gonna buy more today?

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

>New Deutsche Bank ETNs that short gold rack up gains on metal's plunge

**********************EXCERPT************************

ETF FOCUS
Digging gold by doubling down
New Deutsche Bank ETNs that short gold rack up gains on metal's plunge

BOSTON (MarketWatch) -- An exchange-traded note that shorts gold by doubling down on futures prices rose about 14% in just two days this week and was up again Thursday as the metal and other commodities continued to plunge following the Federal Reserve's rate cut and inflation warnings.

[Chuckster]

I am reminded of my brother, several years ago, breathlessly urging me to buy krugerands when they were between $800 and $900. I waited until Eagles were going for $280. The last I bought were $320.