Mining’s old guard needs strong medicine
A new report details subpar investor returns in the mining industry over the last decade, particularly big cap diversified companies which have not adapted to new realities.
The gold price fell by as much as $88 or more than 5% on Friday crashing through the $1,500 an ounce level and spreading panic among gold bugs.
Market watchers were also scratching their heads trying to find reasons for the massive dumping of the yellow metal which sent the price plunging to a level last seen in July 2011.
The gold price is down 10% this year and Friday’s sharp decline dragged it into official bear territory, defined as a 20% decline from a high ($1,909 intra-day in August 2011).
Certain technical support levels – not to mention the psychologically important $1,500 level – were breached but even the chart watchers were surprised by the depth of the sell-off.
Cyprus’s decision to sell gold to stay afloat were cited as a bad signal for the market, but the numbers were so low that it could hardly impact the gold trade in any significant way.
Rumours were also floating around that Merrill Lynch sold 4 million ounces at the start of the trade in New York and of course the stronger dollar on Friday would hurt the price of gold.
But none of this is enough to explain Friday’s meltdown.
The day’s dramatic fall is probably just the logical conclusion to the steady build-up of negative sentiment in the gold market in 2013.
There has been a flood of bad news for gold supporters this year:
On Friday the dam wall holding back that flood broke.
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