Etikett: Joe Foster

Gold Markets Tormented by Rate Hike Intrigue in 2015

Gold Markets Tormented by Rate Hike Intrigue in 2015Gold Markets Tormented by Rate Hike Intrigue in 2015

Van Eck Global’s gold specialist Joe Foster shares his monthly perspective on the gold market, this one is named Gold Markets Tormented by Rate Hike Intrigue in 2015

» Open Gold Market Commentary

Gold Markets Tormented by Rate Hike Intrigue in 2015

Gold Market Commentary

By: Joe Foster, Gold Strategist

Market Review

During November gold came under pressure and the U.S. dollar strengthened as the market gained conviction for a December Federal Reserve (Fed) rate increase. This selling pressure continued into the early days of December and gold fell to a new cycle low of $1,046 per ounce on December 3. At that point, it appeared that the gold market had already priced in this anticipated rate hike. On December 4, gold gained $24 per ounce despite a strong U.S. payroll report that earlier in the year would have spelled trouble for gold. Gold gained $11 on December 16, the day the Fed announced its a 25 basis point increase in the targeted federal funds rate, the first rate increase in over nine years. Time will tell if this change in direction by the Fed also marks a turning point for gold, but it looks as if there are some prominent investors that might hold this view. As evidence, on December 18 gold bullion exchange traded products (ETPs) booked 18.7 tonnes ($641 million) of inflows, the largest one day increase in four years. Overall for the month, gold was little changed, finishing December down $3.35 at $1,061.42 per ounce.

By contrast, although gold stocks also felt the downward pressure leading up to the Fed’s rate decision, they did not make new lows in December. The low point of this cycle for the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR)1 was on September 11. This was the first time since the bear market began in 2011 that the GDMNTR has not followed gold bullion to new long-term lows. For the month, the GDMNTR advanced 0.9%, while the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR)2 gained 2.8%.

Gold funds had a difficult year – tormented by the Fed’s seemingly endless machinations around the timing of a rate increase. For the year 2015 the gold price declined $123 per ounce (10.4%). Gold miners exhibited their leverage to gold with a decline of 24.8% in the GDMNTR and a drop of 19.2% for the MVGDXJTR. The overall downward price trend was interrupted twice by concerns over financial risks. The first came in January when the Swiss broke the franc’s peg to the euro, the European Central Bank (ECB) started a massive quantitative easing (QE)3 program, and radical leadership came to power in Greece. Gold rose to its high for the year at $1,307 on January 22. The second risk driver started in August when China’s stock market collapse panicked markets globally. While these events each created $100 moves in the gold price and substantial increases across gold stocks, in the longer term they were not enough to overcome the negative sentiment brought on by persistent anticipation of rising rates in the U.S. This enabled the U.S. Dollar Index (DXY)4 to make new long-term highs in March and again in December, while bullion ETPs experienced heavy redemptions in July and November. Gold was also pressured by the bear market in the broader commodities complex, shown by the 32% decline in WTI crude and 25% fall in copper for 2015.

Market Outlook

As the positive moves in the gold price in January and again in August – October have shown, gold responds to heightened levels of financial stress. Gold is commonly used as a portfolio diversifier and a hedge against onerous levels of inflation or deflation, currency turmoil, insolvencies brought on by poor debt and/or risk management by governments and financial institutions, and difficulties caused by overall economic weakness, to name a few. For our investors and clients, we endeavor to identify the systemic risks that might drive the gold price. With the start of the New Year, we make several observations that may offer clues as to where the gold price might trend in 2016.

To begin, it is instructive to look at where the market has been. For gold fund managers, it has been the worst of times. When it seems the market can’t go lower, it finds new lows. In our view, gold and gold stocks are unloved and oversold. We have felt this sentiment before, in the crash of 2008, the grueling bear market from 1996 to 2001, and the epic collapse from 1980 to 1985. The current period of 2011 to 2015 ranks historically among the worst bear markets for gold and gold stocks, as measured by peak-to-trough performance in percentage terms. Given the depth and duration of this bear market, using past markets as guides suggests this market should begin to improve in 2016.

In order for the market to improve, there must be a fundamental driver or drivers. Because of radical monetary policies and unsustainable debt levels globally, the financial system remains quite vulnerable to another crisis event or crash like the tech bust or subprime crisis. However, 2016 may not be the year for such a calamity. Think of German economist Rudi Dornbusch’s famous quote: “The crisis takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you would have thought

We see 2016 as a year when many of the headwinds to the gold price begin to ease. Such headwinds have included:

■ Fed tightening
■ Strong U.S. dollar
■ Weak commodities
■ Rising real rates
■ Rising gold production
■ Market positioning

Here is a brief look at each:
The Fed has guided towards roughly another one percent in rate increases in 2016, which would probably amount to four 25 basis point increases. Given the extreme caution the Fed has exhibited in getting to this point in the rate cycle, it is hard to imagine it being more aggressive. In fact, we believe there is a good possibility that the Fed will not be as aggressive as its current guidance suggests. In our view, the U.S. economy is no longer capable of generating more than 2% annual growth due to policy uncertainty, the debt burden, and a byzantine tax and regulatory structure that has reached economically stifling proportions. A low-growth economy is vulnerable to impediments and rising rates could become a significant impediment in 2016.

Easy Fed policies have supported growth in residential and commercial real estate as well as booming auto sales. Fed tightening usually increases rates on everything from mortgages and car loans, to the cost of financing fiscal deficits. It looks like the recent decline in the size of U.S. federal deficits will end as Congress has approved a rash of tax breaks and credits that are expected to add more than $800 billion to the debt load over the coming decade. While federal debt is now a staggering 100% of GDP, interest on that debt is at multi-decade lows of around 11% of GDP. Debt service would double if rates returned to the levels of 2007, which suggests that increasing rates could become unpopular politically.

The U.S. dollar had a tremendous run from July 2014 through March 2015 during which the DXY advanced 25% to new long-term highs. It has maintained those gains through December. A strengthening U.S. economy, weak global growth, and anticipation of rising rates drove the dollar’s rise. These drivers are currently already priced in, in our view, which limits the scope for further gains in the dollar.
Commodities prices have been hurt mainly by slack demand from China. China is transitioning from a commodities intensive industrial revolution to an economy led by consumerism and services. This transition is in full swing and as overproduction of commodities is being addressed by producers, we believe much of the bad news is already reflected in prices. While it is difficult to see a turnaround in things like oil, iron ore, or copper, we believe that downward price pressure is likely to ease in 2016.

Negative real (inflation-adjusted) rates are a common characteristic of gold bull markets. In the 2001 to 2011 bull market, real one-year treasury rates bottomed at -3.75% in 2011, around the same time gold reached its all-time high. Since then, real rates have trended upwards, reaching a high of 0.40% in September. The increase in real rates was achieved through a combination of disinflation in the global economy, deflation in commodities, and tightening in Fed policies through QE tapering and guiding market expectations towards higher rates. We believe real rates could fall somewhat in 2016 if inflation picks up as commodities prices stabilize and if tighter U.S. labor markets put pressure on wages. In addition, economic weakness may cause the Fed to reduce its rate outlook.

Gold production has been on the rise since 2009. We expect mine production to begin a slow, permanent decline in 2016, a trend that would increase should the gold price fall further. Credit Suisse calculates that 15% of production in its coverage universe is free cash flow negative at $1,100 gold. These marginal mines are no doubt doing all they can to cut costs further, but at lower gold prices, some would likely be forced to shut down. While gold production is not a strong price driver due to large above-ground stocks, we believe evidence of a production decline would nonetheless have a positive influence on prices.

Gold positioning indicates that bearish bets are at extreme levels that are typical of turning points in the market. Net speculative long positions on Comex5 are now lower than what occurred following the 2013 gold price collapse and are currently at levels last seen in 2002. Gross speculative shorts reached an all-time high in July, and remain at high levels. This points to the heavy exposure hedge funds, commodities traders, and other speculators already have to falling gold prices. Gold held in bullion ETPs is down to levels last seen in early 2009. This suggests that most of the extraordinary gold buying that occurred in ETPs after the financial crisis has been unwound.

We acknowledge that the gold market is on shaky ground and that there is little positive sentiment as the year begins. However, having been through a number of bear markets in our 47 years as gold fund managers, we also know historically that these markets always come to an end and that gold shares offer their highest leverage to gold when the price is close to the cost of production. Perhaps this leverage will be on display in 2016.

by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager/Strategist

With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster offers a unique perspective on gold and the precious metals asset class.

Important Information For Foreign Investors

This document does not constitute an offering or invitation to invest or acquire financial instruments. The use of this material is for general information purposes.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers actively managed and passively managed investment products that invest in the asset class(es) included in this material. Gold investments can be significantly affected by international economic, monetary and political developments. Gold equities may decline in value due to developments specific to the gold industry, and are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.

Please note that Joe Foster is the Portfolio Manager of an actively managed gold strategy.

Any indices listed are unmanaged indices and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

1NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold. 2Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver. 3Tail risk is the risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations from its current price. 4S&P 500® Index (S&P 500) consists of 500 widely held common stocks covering industrial, utility, financial, and transportation sectors. 5Dot-com bubble grew out of a combination of the presence of speculative or fad-based investing, the abundance of venture capital funding for startups and the failure of dotcoms to turn a profit. Investors poured money into internet startups during the 1990s in the hope that those companies would one day become profitable, and many investors and venture capitalists abandoned a cautious approach for fear of not being able to cash in on the growing use of the internet. 6Source: Bloomberg.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-Van Eck Global proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Global. ©2015 Van Eck Global.

Gold Price and U.S. Dollar Head in Opposite Directions

Gold Price and U.S. Dollar Head in Opposite Directions

Gold Price and U.S. Dollar Head in Opposite Directions Van Eck Global’s gold specialist Joe Foster shares his monthly perspective on the gold market.

» Open Gold Market Commentary

Gold Price and U.S. Dollar Head in Opposite Directions

Gold Market Commentary

By: Joe Foster, Gold Strategist

Market Review

After falling to its cycle lows in July, the gold price had advanced nicely and last month we wondered whether the positive trend was sustainable. The short answer is: No, it wasn’t. In November, the gold price fell to new 5.5-year lows at $1,052 per ounce, as the U.S. Dollar Index1 (DXY) approached long-term highs. Gold ended the month at $1,064.77 per ounce for a loss of $77.39 (6.8%).

On November 4, Bloomberg News reported that Federal Reserve (the “Fed”) Chair Janet Yellen said an improving economy would set the stage for a December interest rate increase if economic reports continue to assure policymakers that inflation will accelerate over time. This set the tone for both gold and the U.S. dollar, which fell and rose, respectively, for the remainder of the month. A strong jobs report on November 6, followed by generally positive economic releases throughout the month enabled market consensus to gain momentum for a rate increase at the December 16 Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting. Gold bullion exchange-traded products (ETPs) saw 1.59 million ounces (49.3 tonnes) of redemptions in November which drove gold ETPs’ combined holdings to a new cycle low of 47.92 million ounces (1,490.3 tonnes).

During November gold equity indices fell with the gold price and nearly met the lows set in July. The NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index2 (GDMNTR) declined 8.5%, while the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index3 (MVGDXJTR) fell 8.6%. Low gold prices caused investors to largely ignore the robust results of the third quarter earnings season. BMO Capital Markets reported free cash flow of $978 million from the North American senior miners, far surpassing expectations of $94 million. Scotiabank’s universe of senior and larger mid-caps had production that was 3% above expectations and all-in mining costs that were 8% lower than expected. The favorable results stemmed from operating efficiency, bear market pricing for materials and services, low local currency values, and low fuel prices. Many companies have indicated that there is still room to cut costs further. We now expect positive production results and cost-savings to continue in 2016.

Physical demand for gold bars, coins, and jewelry improved in the third quarter. The World Gold Council (WGC) reported that Q3 gold demand increased by 8% over Q2 and by 14% over last year. Year-to-date demand is up 3% versus the same period in 2014. The WGC reckons that there was a gold market deficit of 56.0 tonnes in Q3. The largest drivers of this strong demand were India and China, where demand increased 13% in each country which equates to a 58.0 tonne increase over Q2. Chinese demand continues as physical deliveries from the Shanghai Gold Exchange through November have now surpassed the record set in 2013.

Investors might wonder how gold can make new lows in July and again in November while the market has been in a deficit, which means demand is presumably outstripping supply. The gold market is unique among commodities and indeed unique in the financial world. Most gold is hoarded as a financial asset, like currencies, stocks, and bonds. It is not consumed like oil, copper, or soybeans. All of the gold ever produced is sitting in a vault, safe, jewelry box, place of worship, or museum, or is adorning a person’s body. This gold represents a huge reservoir of potential supply, some of which is available at a price. This is why the supply/demand drivers that apply to most commodities may not apply to gold. In addition, the gold market is not sufficiently transparent to account for all of the transactions that occur globally. All of the gold that the WGC can account for amounted to a 56.0 tonne deficit in Q3, however, there is gold the WGC cannot count that may make this deficit larger or perhaps nonexistent altogether.

For commodities other than gold, strong physical demand drives prices higher – prices follow demand. With gold, the current price drives physical demand – demand follows prices. Lower prices entice buyers in India and China. They also bring strong retail demand from the U.S. and Europe. This physical demand increases when prices drop, helping to stabilize prices. However, physical demand usually diminishes when prices increase.

Investment demand generates price strength in the gold market and a lack of investment demand characterizes bear markets. The motives that drive both physical and investment demand are the same – to utilize gold as a store of wealth and a hedge against currency weakness, tail risk4, or financial stress. However, investment demand manifests itself mainly in the futures market in New York and the over-the-counter market in London. These markets exert the largest influence on gold prices and they are driven more by macroeconomic, financial, and geopolitical events than by prices and supply/demand equations.
Gold ETPs are relatively transparent vehicles that we use as a proxy for broad investment demand. In Q3 global bullion ETPs had 63.0 tonnes of redemptions. This is probably a good indicator of weak investment demand in New York and London. It also lends better insight into price action than physical demand from China or elsewhere.

We believe that physical demand should play a larger role in price discovery, and maybe it eventually will as the Asian gold market grows and matures. In the meantime, the Chinese seem happy to accumulate all the gold the West cares to provide at low gold prices. Regardless of what we believe should happen, we make investment decisions based on what actually drives the market. This means investing in companies that can survive intact or gain an advantage if a lack of investment demand drives prices lower than expected.

Market Outlook

Once again the markets are essentially convinced that the Fed will raise rates at the next FOMC meeting. Based on recent Fed comments, economic releases, and the level of expectations, we will be shocked if the Fed doesn’t raise rates. Rate rising cycles introduce risks to the economy and financial system and they often end badly. According to Gluskin Sheff5, a bull market in the S&P 500 Index6 has never ended after an initial rate hike. It is a different story if the rate hikes keep coming. The stock market crashed in October 1987 after three rate hikes over five months. NASDAQ crashed in April 2000 after six rate hikes over 11 months. Rate increases are often a prelude to recessions, which become increasingly likely as the yield curve flattens or inverts (when short-term rates exceed long-term rates).

The Fed has never waited as long as five years into a bull market to begin to raise rates. A few reasons the Fed has been reluctant to pull the trigger:

■ In the last four decades, the Fed has never raised rates when the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Index7 was below 50, which signifies a manufacturing recession. The ISM Index is currently 48.6.
■ How long can Fed policies diverge from the rest of the world where the central banks of Europe, China, Australia, and Japan are all easing to combat economic weakness?
■ Every country that started a rate-hiking course after the Great Recession that ended in 2009 was ultimately forced to reverse course.

On November 2 as we watched Fed Chair Yellen address the Economic Club of Washington D.C., the U.S. Dollar Index approached a 12.5-year high while gold made a new 5.5-year low at $1,052 per ounce. With the U.S. dollar and gold at extreme levels, it seems the market has already priced in forthcoming rate hikes. Credit Suisse reported in October that historically when the U.S. has raised rates the dollar has stopped appreciating. In some cases the dollar fell into a bear market and in others the dollar eventually recovered.
Gold has a similarly inconsistent reaction to rate increases, as shown in this excerpt from our March gold market update, written when the market was obsessed with the Fed’s rate decision, as it unfortunately still is:

Scotiabank has analyzed the last six tightening cycles since 1982 when a suitable gold index became available. They found that gold prices advanced in the year following the first rate increase in half of the cycles, whereas gold declined in the other half. Scotia points out that the only other point at which the Fed raised rates in a low-inflation environment was in 1986, when rates were increased in order to help defend a sharply depreciating U.S. dollar. It was also one of the rate-rising periods when gold performed well. The Scotia analysis leads to an uncertain outlook; it tells us that sometimes gold advances when rates rise and sometimes it does not. However, the economic and financial backdrop to the next rate cycle is unlike any other in history. The imbalances in asset markets, sovereign debt levels, and central bank finances create risks that may become overwhelming under the stress of rising rates. Perhaps the first rate increase will mark the beginning of the end of the gold bear market.

by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager/Strategist

With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster offers a unique perspective on gold and the precious metals asset class.

Important Information For Foreign Investors

This document does not constitute an offering or invitation to invest or acquire financial instruments. The use of this material is for general information purposes.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers actively managed and passively managed investment products that invest in the asset class(es) included in this material. Gold investments can be significantly affected by international economic, monetary and political developments. Gold equities may decline in value due to developments specific to the gold industry, and are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.

Please note that Joe Foster is the Portfolio Manager of an actively managed gold strategy.

Any indices listed are unmanaged indices and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

1NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold. 2Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver. 3Tail risk is the risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations from its current price. 4S&P 500® Index (S&P 500) consists of 500 widely held common stocks covering industrial, utility, financial, and transportation sectors. 5Dot-com bubble grew out of a combination of the presence of speculative or fad-based investing, the abundance of venture capital funding for startups and the failure of dotcoms to turn a profit. Investors poured money into internet startups during the 1990s in the hope that those companies would one day become profitable, and many investors and venture capitalists abandoned a cautious approach for fear of not being able to cash in on the growing use of the internet. 6Source: Bloomberg.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-Van Eck Global proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Global. ©2015 Van Eck Global.

Has Gold’s Cyclical Bear Market Found a Base?

Has Gold’s Cyclical Bear Market Found a Base?

Has Gold’s Cyclical Bear Market Found a Base? Van Eck Global’s gold specialist Joe Foster shares his monthly perspective on the gold market.

» Open Gold Market Commentary

Gold Markets Eye Fed’s December Move

Once again, we must report that the outlook for the Federal Reserve Bank’s (Fed’s) rate decision influenced the movements in the gold price in October. Leaving rates unchanged is considered supportive for gold because it implies weakness in the economy, a lower U.S. dollar, and potentially lower real rates. Gold advanced on October 2 when disappointing September U.S. non-farm payrolls meant lower odds of a Fed rate increase. Gold reached its $1,191 per ounce high for the month on October 15 following retail sales that were below expectations and producer prices that fell more than forecasts predicted. Poor economic results continued with the release of downward pointing monthly reports for durable goods, consumer confidence, and other leading indicators. However, on October 28, the Fed released its post-FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting statement, which the market interpreted as increasing the likelihood of a December rate hike. In the statement, the Fed dropped previous warnings on global risk and focused on gains in household spending. As a result of the Fed’s comments, the gold price partially lost earlier gains and ended the month with a $27.09 advance (2.4%) at $1,142.16 per ounce.

Gold Stocks Perk Up

Gold stocks perked up in October, although they also saw weakness following the FOMC statement. In October, the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index1 gained 9.2% while the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index2 advanced 5.1%. Third quarter reporting started in the last week of October and will run into November. So far we are pleased with the sector’s improving operating performance. In our opinion, companies have done a good job driving down costs and early reports suggest this trend is continuing. For example, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (7.7% of INIVX net assets) lowered the midpoint of its all-in mining cost guidance from $880 per ounce to $850, Newmont (1.9% of net assets) from $950 per ounce to $910, and Eldorado Gold Corporation (4.8% of net assets) from $925 per ounce to $870. [Access a current list of INIVX holdings.]

Positive Trends Since July

A symptom of the economic weakness in China is its foreign exchange (forex) reserves, which have been in decline since June 2014 and are down $329 billion (8.6%) so far this year. Despite this, the Peoples Bank of China (PBOC) continues to buy significant amounts of gold to add to its forex reserves. In July, the PBOC began announcing monthly changes in its official gold reserves. For the third quarter, the PBOC added 50 tonnes, which exceeds its annualized pace of 100 tonnes per year for the last six years. Meanwhile, the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society believes gold consumption may match or exceed the record set in 2013. Robust Chinese demand helps underpin prices in an otherwise weak market.

Since gold fell to its cycle low of $1,072 per ounce in July, we feel it has embarked on a positive trend. Each time gold makes new lows in the bear market, we see a similar pattern, and investors wonder whether this positive trend is sustainable. The recent fundamental drivers have been safe haven3 demand due to jitters over the collapse of the Chinese stock market in August and uncertainty surrounding the Fed’s rate decision. It feels as if markets are being held hostage until the next FOMC meeting in December. Perhaps there will be answers to the multitude of questions that create uncertainty: Will rates be increased? How will markets react? How much is already priced into the gold market? How much is priced into the U.S. dollar? How will emerging economies behave? What will be the pace of rate increases? Will they have to reverse course? Until there is more clarity, it is difficult to say whether this is another false start for gold or the beginning of a lasting trend.

Analyzing Gold and Gold Equities

Many who follow gold stocks are puzzled by the depths to which they have fallen. There are several ways of analyzing this, some of which are misleading. Chart 1 shows the ratio of the NYSE Gold Miners Index (GDM) to gold at all-time lows, well below the levels of the 2008 credit crisis crash or the 1980–2001 secular bear market. This chart depicts the unprecedented decline in gold stocks.

Source: Bloomberg, Van Eck Research. Not illustrative of an investment in the Fund. Historical information is not a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Current market conditions may not continue.

The GDM index saw its cycle low of 348 on September 11, 2015. The last time it was this low was in 2002 when gold was $300 per ounce. We do not believe that this means stocks are anticipating much lower gold prices. The average all-in mining cost for our coverage universe is $920 per ounce. We do not know of any mines that are producing gold for $300 per ounce. In fact, in our view, high cost mines would begin shutting down at around the $1,000 per ounce level and the entire industry would likely to cease to exist long before gold reached $300.

These can be valid ways of looking at markets, however, for gold and gold stocks they are misleading because they fail to capture important changes in the fundamentals of the industry over the past 15 years. To demonstrate and quantify these changes, we look to Chart 2. This chart uses the same data as Chart 1, but displays it as an x-y plot, rather than a ratio.

Source: Bloomberg, Van Eck Research. Not illustrative of an investment in the Fund. Historical information is not a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Current market conditions may not continue.

The first thing to notice is that gold and the GDM form three distinct trends over different periods. The transition between trends is shown as open circles. The correlation statistics (R-squared) for each trend is close to a perfect 1.00,4 which means that there is indeed a very strong correlation between gold bullion and gold shares.

Each trend is positioned progressively to the right at higher gold prices. This means that higher gold prices have been required to maintain the same GDM value. Each time the trend shifts from A to B to C, stocks are de-rating due to a loss in value. In the late 1990s, many companies became heavily hedged, locking in future production at low prices. When the bull market started, they were unable to take advantage of higher prices until in the 2000s, when they started spending billions of dollars to buy back their hedge books. As a result of what appear to be irresponsible hedging policies, gold stocks devalued from Trend A to B. The good news is that today the industry remains essentially unhedged, not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the past.

A different type of mistake caused the second devaluation form Trend B to C. The global mining industry was the victim of double-digit cost inflation during the 2008 to 2011 period of Trend B. The gold miners were not immune to this, and shareholders saw profit margins squeezed and capital cost escalations that diminished returns on new projects. Frustrated by the relentless rise in costs and missed expectations, the market de-rated the sector to its current Trend C. As has been the case with hedging, we believe the industry will not repeat the mistakes of the past. Managements are now focused on maintaining operational excellence and preserving margins.

To be fair, in the 1990s there were many companies with policies against hedging, and more recently there have been many with prudent cost controls. We have aimed to generate alpha5 in our portfolios by avoiding hedged producers and investing in companies with low costs and manageable debt. However, the majors have struggled the most with the problems that have plagued the industry. These companies dominate the indices and they are the “go-to” names for large generalist investors. In our view, poor leadership has cast a negative image across the broader industry.

We do not believe the industry will encounter further de-ratings in the future. We believe that a “Trend D” is not in the cards because the hard lessons that have been learned will not be forgotten, and companies should be able to maintain value. It is also unlikely that the industry re-rates higher towards Trend B. In order to create a positive step-change in value, it would take revolutionary technology or substantially more high-grade discoveries that enable low-cost mines to be built. While some companies are likely to make game-changing discoveries, we do not see it happening for the industry as a whole. Budgets have been slashed and geologic limitations have made exploration success harder to come by.

This Cyclical Bear Market Continues to Find a Base

This means that Trend C is probably the “new normal”, and, if so, what can we expect? The stocks are exhibiting considerable beta6 to the gold price. From the September close of $1,142 per ounce, a $100 (8.7%) change in the gold price caused a 36.4% change in the GDM along Trendline C. At higher gold prices the beta diminishes, but is still significant. For example, a $100 (6.2%) change from $1,600 per ounce causes a 13.7% change in the GDM along the trendline. Fundamentally, we explain this through optionality and leverage. At lower gold prices the volatility increases as stocks trade more like pure options. Around the $1,000 per ounce gold price, the industry does not generate any free cash and has little intrinsic value. However, there is still investment demand for the equities as options on higher gold prices.

Leverage at low gold prices also causes increased volatility and beta. Operating leverage increases when earnings and cash flows are at depressed levels. Small changes in the gold price can provide large percentage changes in earnings. For companies with high debt loads, there is also substantial financial leverage at low gold prices because so much of their cash flow is tied up in servicing debt.

While the near-term outlook for gold is murky, we expect to see plenty of volatility as this cyclical bear market continues to find a base.

by Joe Foster, Portfolio Manager/Strategist

With more than 30 years of gold industry experience, Foster began his gold career as a boots on the ground geologist, evaluating mining exploration and development projects. Foster offers a unique perspective on gold and the precious metals asset class.

Important Information For Foreign Investors

This document does not constitute an offering or invitation to invest or acquire financial instruments. The use of this material is for general information purposes.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers actively managed and passively managed investment products that invest in the asset class(es) included in this material. Gold investments can be significantly affected by international economic, monetary and political developments. Gold equities may decline in value due to developments specific to the gold industry, and are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.

Please note that Joe Foster is the Portfolio Manager of an actively managed gold strategy.

Any indices listed are unmanaged indices and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

1NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold. 2Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver. 3Tail risk is the risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations from its current price. 4S&P 500® Index (S&P 500) consists of 500 widely held common stocks covering industrial, utility, financial, and transportation sectors. 5Dot-com bubble grew out of a combination of the presence of speculative or fad-based investing, the abundance of venture capital funding for startups and the failure of dotcoms to turn a profit. Investors poured money into internet startups during the 1990s in the hope that those companies would one day become profitable, and many investors and venture capitalists abandoned a cautious approach for fear of not being able to cash in on the growing use of the internet. 6Source: Bloomberg.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-Van Eck Global proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Global. ©2015 Van Eck Global.

 

Gold Bear Market Continues Despite Global Economic Concerns

Gold Bear Market Continues Despite Global Economic Concerns

Gold Bear Market Continues Despite Global Economic Concerns Van Eck Global’s gold specialist Joe Foster shares his monthly perspective on the gold market.

» Open Gold Market Commentary

Gold Market Commentary

Gold Bear Market Continues Despite Global Economic Concerns

By: Joe Foster, Gold Strategist

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time.

Market Review

Gold and gold shares continued to consolidate above the July lows of the year. Gold traded in a $1,100 to $1,150 per ounce range during September, ending the month with a $19.73 (1.7%) loss at $1,115.07 per ounce. Gold stocks also saw small losses, with the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index1 down 2.3% and the Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index2 declining 3.1%.

After spending much of the past year informing the market of its plans to raise rates, on September 17, the Federal Reserve (Fed) once again put it off until a later, unspecified time. Fed Chairman Yellen said “the economy has been performing well”, but cited concern over “global economic and financial developments.” The Fed lowered its growth and inflation forecasts. Gold responded positively by trending higher, topping out at $1,156 per ounce on September 24.

We attended the Precious Metals Summit and Denver Gold Forum, which attracts most of the gold companies in our investment universe. The Precious Metals Summit features smaller development companies, explorers, and a few producers. Many companies are shepherding cash and slowing development to ride out the current low gold prices. Lower drilling costs may enable companies to do more with less and we are seeing more thorough and thoughtful planning. We are also seeing companies able to take advantage of the weak market. Companies with attractive properties that have run out of time and capital are becoming willing sellers. Others who have been through these cycles and have better access to capital and expertise are picking up such properties in preparation for an eventual turnaround in the market.

The Denver Gold Forum was not as vibrant as in past years, reflecting the current mood in the market. Austerity was an overriding theme as companies explained how they continue to rein in costs and outlined their plans should gold prices fall further. While none expects lower prices, contingency plans for prices as low as $900 per ounce were shown. The industry generates positive cash flow at current prices; however, roughly 25% of production becomes unprofitable at $1,000 per ounce, at which point we would expect to see closures. Many regions are seeing a positive currency effect. Currencies are at multi-year lows in Canada, Australia, Brazil and elsewhere, effectively reducing costs in U.S. dollar terms, making mines in those areas more profitable. The standouts at this conference were those able to develop mines at current gold prices. Some companies have been able to combine the deflation in development costs with smarter engineering plans and capital deployment to build projects that are better placed than those envisioned and built several years ago at higher gold prices. The royalty companies also had an impressive showing, as royalties have evolved from niche to mainstream financing.

Market Outlook

Given the depth and duration of the gold bear market, many must wonder whether this is the beginning of a secular bear market measured in decades rather than a cyclical bear market that is measured in years. The last secular bear market lasted 21 years from 1980 to 2001. There were a number of cyclical bull markets after 1980, however the longer term trend was downward for gold. Several major macroeconomic drivers drove the secular bear market. In the early eighties, the Fed raised rates to combat inflation. While this initially caused a difficult recession, it set in motion a long period of disinflation and price stability in the economy. The Reagan presidency further set the economy, in our view, on a positive trajectory with tax cuts and reforms that limited or reduced the regulatory burden on business. The U.S. won the Cold War, with peace and commerce breaking out in many regions of the globe. With strong leadership and prescient policies, there was ample generation of wealth, tail risk3 diminished, and investment demand for gold remained weak.

In our opinion, the conditions that supported that secular bear market could not be more different than today’s. In fact, we would argue they are polar opposites. The stable disinflation that prevailed for over two decades ended with the credit crisis. Since 2008, deflationary concerns have dominated monetary policy decisions. This has intensified with the slowdown in China and commodity weakness. Economic weakness has been met with policies of taxation and austerity. Increasing regulation of finance, health care, and energy capture the headlines, while insidious smaller scale regulations continue to accumulate across most industries. The “cold war” has returned with proxy battles breaking out in the Middle East. Failed states, refugees, and violence appear to be trending in the wrong direction. The U.S. has seen very limited fallout from the weak global economy and political strife; hence the U.S. dollar and U.S. assets are seen as possible safe havens for now. However, we believe this is a cyclical occurrence for gold, not a secular trend.

The Fed’s chronic reluctance to raise rates suggests that it sees the economy as so fragile that it cannot withstand a series of relatively miniscule 25 basis point increases. Quantitative easing and near-zero rate policies have failed to deliver the stronger GDP growth predicted by the Fed. We believe businesses do not want to invest when they do not know the impact of a promised rate hike that never seems to materialize. Yet, these failed policies have been copied by central banks around the world with no better results. Perpetually changing expectations and outlook risks losing market confidence. After six years of economic expansion and a bull market that took the S&P 5004 to new highs, it appears that rates could remain near zero into the next recession. The multi-generational low in interest rates has created misallocations of wealth that could bring a rash of unintended consequences that become apparent in the next economic downturn. Artificially low rates incentivize risk-taking, redistribute income to those with financial assets, and distort the allocation of credit. Examples include ballooning levels of student debt, auto loans, margin debt, high-yield debt, commercial real estate, and luxury residential construction.

The first significant economy to fall into recession in the current weak global economy is Brazil. It is reminiscent of the U.S. “dot-com bubble”5 in 2000, when a fall in technical stocks and business activity brought a recession. Around the same time, accounting scandals were revealed and the Enron debacle was exposed. The U.S. dollar embarked on a bear market and the gold bull market ensued. The contemporary Brazilian economy is driven more by commodities than technology, but the result is the same. The commodities bust triggered economic weakness and recession. A massive graft scandal at state-run oil giant Petrobras has sent shock waves through the rest of the economy. S&P cut the nation’s debt rating to junk with a negative outlook. Since 2011, the Brazilian real has been in a bear market, and the market has worsened over the past year. The gold price in Brazilian real terms is at all-time highs, gaining 40.7% so far this year.6

Perhaps the Fed’s trepidation with raising rates is justified. Maybe Brazil is the first domino to fall. Is Japan or China next? Will the U.S. economy be the last to topple? Brazilians have found gold to be a prudent store of wealth. Perhaps it is not too soon for those in many other countries to think about ways of preserving wealth should mainstream investments begin to falter.

Important Information For Foreign Investors

This document does not constitute an offering or invitation to invest or acquire financial instruments. The use of this material is for general information purposes.

Please note that Van Eck Securities Corporation offers actively managed and passively managed investment products that invest in the asset class(es) included in this material. Gold investments can be significantly affected by international economic, monetary and political developments. Gold equities may decline in value due to developments specific to the gold industry, and are subject to interest rate risk and market risk. Investments in foreign securities involve risks related to adverse political and economic developments unique to a country or a region, currency fluctuations or controls, and the possibility of arbitrary action by foreign governments, including the takeover of property without adequate compensation or imposition of prohibitive taxation.

Please note that Joe Foster is the Portfolio Manager of an actively managed gold strategy.

Any indices listed are unmanaged indices and include the reinvestment of all dividends, but do not reflect the payment of transaction costs, advisory fees or expenses that are associated with an investment in the Fund. An index’s performance is not illustrative of the Fund’s performance. Indices are not securities in which investments can be made.

1NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index (GDMNTR) is a modified market capitalization-weighted index comprised of publicly traded companies involved primarily in the mining for gold. 2Market Vectors Junior Gold Miners Index (MVGDXJTR) is a rules-based, modified market capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index comprised of a global universe of publicly traded small- and medium-capitalization companies that generate at least 50% of their revenues from gold and/or silver mining, hold real property that has the potential to produce at least 50% of the company’s revenue from gold or silver mining when developed, or primarily invest in gold or silver. 3Tail risk is the risk of an asset or portfolio of assets moving more than three standard deviations from its current price. 4S&P 500® Index (S&P 500) consists of 500 widely held common stocks covering industrial, utility, financial, and transportation sectors. 5Dot-com bubble grew out of a combination of the presence of speculative or fad-based investing, the abundance of venture capital funding for startups and the failure of dotcoms to turn a profit. Investors poured money into internet startups during the 1990s in the hope that those companies would one day become profitable, and many investors and venture capitalists abandoned a cautious approach for fear of not being able to cash in on the growing use of the internet. 6Source: Bloomberg.

Please note that the information herein represents the opinion of the author and these opinions may change at any time and from time to time. Not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results or investment advice. Historical performance is not indicative of future results; current data may differ from data quoted. Current market conditions may not continue. Non-Van Eck Global proprietary information contained herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. No part of this material may be reproduced in any form, or referred to in any other publication, without express written permission of Van Eck Global. ©2015 Van Eck Global.