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April 3, 2023

Gold and Miners Poised To Make a Big Run

Throughout history there have been many years and even decades when gold outperformed equities. The question I am going to ask is "is this time different?" I am particularly interested at looking at the 1970's when the U.S. had high inflation and low economic growth. The FED is tightening yet many economic indicators are slow to point to a full-blown recession. Inflation has been hard to tame for Jerome Powell thus far. Stagflation is a probable outcome in this economic scenario. There is also the increasing potential for geopolitical events as it relates to oil as there is tension between eastern and western nations.

So far, many parts of the economy have been unprecedently resilient to higher rates. Housing has been one of them as many people are buying from fear of missing out and moving to cheaper cities. The second period in history that saw gold outperfrom equities was 2000 to 2012. This was following a long secular expansion and tech bubble collapse. We now are at the end of a long expansion and crypto and Bitcoin bubble burst.

Gold also did well following the 2008 banking panic but I am particularly interested in the years when gold rose as stocks fell. These are the years in the 1970s and 2001 to 2003. So, I see a couple likely scenarios economically. The FED tightening causes a recession that is mild or severe. If it is mild I see a possibility of inflation sticking around like the 70s. If it is severe and there are major bank panics it will likely be resolved quickly as 1907 was with J.P. Morgan helping bail out Trust Company of America and the 2008 panic were. In 2008 much of the deflation came in less than one year as housing collapsed and banking products failed. The Government in 2008 was fairly quick to inject capital and launch QE in 2009. Gold benefited from that.

In 2009 I predicted the pivot point on gold and was bullish right before its historic run. I said, "This chart sends a powerful signal. It is saying that it is more than likely that gold the commodity will continue higher. Let me rephrase that. Very likely." I had noticed a triangle formation on the gold chart.



What Can We Learn From The Past?

Let's switch gears and go back to the 1970's. It was a period of much uncertainty politically and economically. The highlighted regions show two periods where stocks fell and gold rose. Even the entire decade had stocks losing to gold. Gold traded for $35 in 1971 and went to over $850 returning 2,300% in ten years.

Next let us view the 2001 recession and gold and stocks. We see yet again periods when gold rose as equity indices fell in 2001 to 2003. This was during the recession of 2001 when unemployment rose from 4% to 5.5%. Then Fed Chair Alan Greenspan kept interest rates historically low during his tenure.

2001 gold chart
















Here is a longer-term chart of equities and gold.

gold vs stocks
















The gold market is now signaling extreme strength as the daily chart is showing a very powerful consolidation pattern. It is a bullish triangle formation as you can see below. Gold miners are alreading breaking higher from this consolidation like Franco-Nevada (FNV). I am currently long the gold ETF GDX calls. Other liquid ETFs include VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF GDXJ and SPDR Gold Trust GLD. GLD doesn't hold physcial reserves though. Sprott Physical Gold Trust PHYS is a gold etf that holds actual gold.

gold technical analysis chart GLD


























Final Thoughts

Everyone is scrambling to find cheap gold mining stocks. As gold is consolidating at levels near last years highs I see a good possiblity of different scenarios. Over many recent years gold has been a "risk on" trade. Meaning it usually will only rise when stocks and other assets do. There were a couple days during the most recent banking troubles, however, where gold and Bitcoin had positive days while equities fell. Currently, gold is surpassing Bitcoin in this potential "flight to safety."

I see it rising as it did in 2001 and 2009 if the FED ends up reacting to a recession with QE like 2009 or with another extreme loosening like in 2001. The odds are stacked that we are going to get a recession with historic FED tightening and yield curve inversion. The other scenario is a recession with elements of inflation sticking like the 1970 and even a weak U.S. Dollar.

Whether one sees it as a stagflationary safehaven or an inflation hedge on a declining stock market. I see gold as a historically wise investment vehicle at this time and for many years to come as we sort out this economic cycle. It may start making new highs very soon or it may take months before the momentum starts but I see gold moving higher over the next year. Increasing allocation to gold just makes sense.

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Full disclosure: I am long GDX call options currently and may take positions in stocks mentioned. I have no physcial gold holidings. I have approx. two dozen silver coins.

charts courtesy bullionvault.co.uk and stockcharts.com