Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - To Be a Friend of God

 

"I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to be wary of those who sow divisions among you, and undermine the faithfulness of the people with controversies concerning the teachings that you have received.  Avoid them, for these people do not serve the Lord, but their own passions and schemes.  By their lying tongues and smooth flattering they deceive the naive and the unsuspecting."

Romans 16:17-18

"Avoid foolish controversies, and detailed analysis and pedigrees, and arguments and quarrels about our teachings, because they are unprofitable and useless.  Warn a divisive person once, and then a second time.  After that, have nothing to do with them.  You may be sure that these people are disturbed and sinful; by their actions they condemn themselves."

Titus 3:9-11

"This kind of person finds fault, complains constantly and sows discontent to promote their own desires and preferences.  If you listen they are arrogant, and they use flatteries to gain advantages.  Remember the predictions of His apostles, that in the last age there will be scoffers driven by their own desires, creating divisions and controversies, Worldly, and devoid of the Spirit, which is love."

Jude 1:16-19

"And then many will fall away, and will hate and betray one another.  False prophets will arise, and lead the people astray.  And because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.  But those who stand firm in faith to the end will be saved."

Matthew 24:10-14

Stocks flopped this morning after the end of quarter paint job.

The SP was a little more resilient and managed to gain back much of its losses into the close.  Tech, not so much.

Gold and silver rallied, and the Dollar backed off to the high 100 handle.

Bitcoin is bouncing along the bottom of its trading range.

VIX fell even as stocks broke lower.  There is little fear among the masters of the universe.

 BREAKING: The US has offered Iran a new $6 billion bribe from Iran's own frozen funds of $100 billion to relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz and drop its planned fees, but Iran has directly rejected the offer as it targets $40 billion in annual Hormuz fees and permanent control over the Strait, per WSJ.  Iran's chief negotiator Ghalibaf reaffirms the Strait is "under Iran's command, not the US's," with Iran's IRGC warning this morning that any ship not using Iran's approved route and any American interference will face an "immediate and powerful" response.

Let us remember the many blessings that God has bestowed on us this holiday weekend.  And bear the mind the many sacrifices in preserving freedom that were borne by those who have gone before us, sometimes paying a terrible price.

Each person we meet is carrying a heavy burden that is their own. Thank you all for your fellowship throughout the year, and know that you are always in my prayers, as I hope that I am in yours.

Even though at times he may seems distant, the Lord is even now walking among us, as he did when he walked the earth in the Apostles' days.  And by his loving kindness and tender mercies he calls to us, and bids us follow him, and yearns to bring us with him safely into His father's house.

What more could we wish for?  To be a friend of God and His creation.  A friend of God. 

Time to come home. 

Have a pleasant weekend. 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Seek Good That You May Live

 

"Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’”

Matthew 9:13

"Seek good and not evil,
     that you may live;
Then truly the Lord, the God of hosts,
     will be with you as you claim.
Hate evil and love good,
     and let justice prevail in your courts;
Then it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts,
     will have pity on the remnant of his people."

Amos 5:14-15

"You are a sinful nation, weighed down by lawlessness. You are a race of corrupt and wicked children that has forsaken your Lord, despised the Holy God of Israel, and turned your backs to him."

Isaiah 1:4

"'They make claims of peace
     when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their lawlessness?
     No, they do not even know how to blush.
They will lie among the fallen.
     They will be brought low when I judge them.'"

Jeremiah 6:14-15

“Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me.  Weep for yourselves and your children."

Luke 23:28

 

Stocks flopped today after the big pop on Monday. 

It was revealed that the big diplomatic breakthrough that the Administration and some of their media mouthpieces were touting on Sunday evening with Iran was puffery, a polite way of saying 'deceptive.'

And there were revelations that Donnie has his money very actively day-trading the stock markets, to an almost shocking degree.  

"The day before Trump paused tariffs and sparked a historic 10% market rally, his accounts bought 327 stocks worth up to $12.8 million.  The trades weren't disclosed until yesterday—over a year late.  He paid a $200 penalty."   Donald Shaw, Trump Bought Hundreds of Stocks the Day Before He Sparked an Historic Rally,  1 July 2026

 Front-running yourself?  What will they think of next.

Gold and silver rallied and then fell back.

The Dollar has now advanced to tough overhead resistance at the top of its intermediate trading range.

SpaceX joined the flop-fest and is back down underwater.

VIX fell to a recently complacent level.

Tomorrow will be the last trading day this holiday shortened week.

Non-Farm Payrolls report is coming out.  I don't trust their numbers anymore.

Have a pleasant evening.

The Latest on the Iran - US War

 

That Iranian requirement for Israel to withdraw from Lebanon before talks can proceed is a stumbling block.

Just now from The Hormuz Report on X:

BREAKING: Iran's top negotiator Ghalibaf directly contradicts JD Vance's technical talk claim—declaring Iran is "ready for war" and "negotiations with the US are now finished" until frozen funds are released and Israel fully withdraws from Lebanon, per an interview with Tasnim News Agency.

Vance had claimed that Iran's denial of peace talks is a "Persian negotiating tactic and rhetorical device that he does not understand" insisting that technical talks are ongoing. Ghalibaf's response: "there are no negotiations". "We will not proceed to the other issues until the first five clauses are fulfilled."

Ghalibaf also called recent U.S. strikes a "violation of the ceasefire" and made clear that toll-free passage in the Strait of Hormuz is only for 60 days per the MOU, after which Iran will charge fees—describing the Strait as Iran's "greatest power tool." No funds, no withdrawal, no talks. The Strait is Iran's. Vance can call it a "tactic." and Iran still denies.

I have been reading that the talks that are happening now are logistical discussions about transferring the first $3 billion in frozen Iranian assets.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Follow Me - End of Second Quarter

 

"From the moment Christ named Peter the rock he was so steadfast in faith, so courageous, such a confessor, so brave, so expressive, that among the Apostles, he was the first in faith.  When our own faith diminishes, let us run and mentally fall at the feet of the Apostle Peter, and beg him to add to our faith, to increase our faith, and to help us.

He easily forgave those who repented because many times he himself had 'stepped in it.'  Why don't we all do this?   How many times do we also falter and deny our God-man Christ?  Our loving Lord?  This was Peter, in a few words.  May we have his blessing."

Archimandrite Ananias Koustenis, Summer Synaxarion, Volume I.

“'Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift all of you like wheat. But I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And once you have regained yourself, strengthen your brethren.'  Simon said to him, 'Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.' And Jesus said, 'Peter, amen I say to you, before the cock crows today, you will deny that you even know me, three times.'”

Luke 22:31-34

"When they had finished breakfast Jesus said to Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?'  And he answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'  He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”  Jesus then asked him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'  And Peter answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.'  And He said, “Tend my sheep.” And Jesus asked him a third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?'

Peter became distressed that Jesus had asked a third time, 'Do you love me?'   And he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.'  Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.  Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk where you liked.  But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you, and lead you where you do not wish to go.'   Jesus said this to show by what kind of death Peter would glorify God.  And when he had said this, he said to him, 'Follow me.'”

John 21:15-19

"And Peter understood that neither Nero, nor all his legions, could overcome the living truth — that they could not overwhelm it with tears or blood, and that now its victory was beginning. He understood with equal force why the Lord had turned him back on the road to Rome. That city of pride, of crime, of wickedness, and of a lust for power, was beginning to be His city."

Henryk Sienkiewicz, Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero

Today was the last day of the second quarter.  And the champions of the austere rigors of capitalism in its disciplined allocation of capital were busy painting the tape.

This kind of pool buying to pump up stocks on increasing levels of margin debt is very reminiscent of 1929. We might expect this to end in a similar manner.

And of course we can thank the Trump Administration, including Scott Bessent and his cronies, and the stock traders in the Congress, for this mistreatment of our financial system.

Gold and silver attempted to rally and gained a little ground.

Bitcoin dropped back down to the lowest level of its intermediate trading range.   I was a little surprised to see this.  

The Dollar didn't do anything.

And it turned out that Trump's Truth Social post and all that about Iran were the usual market pumping baloney.  

Although as it turns out Iran is making good use of this period to move a great deal of oil to China. 

"Iran has exported 50 million barrels of crude oil, generating $3.5 billion, since the US blockade was lifted two weeks ago, equating to 3.4 million barrels per day or double Iran's pre-conflict export rate of 1.7 million bpd, with most going to China, per TankerTrackers. Iran is rapidly extracting as much oil as possible beyond the reach of the US blockade line, building a revenue buffer before any potential US blockade reimposition or Iranian reclosure of the Strait of Hormuz."

All the risks are still there, the risks of war and the collapsing of the house of cards that is the global equity markets and the AI new era shiny thing.

It looks like the pampered politicos of Europe are going to keep poking the Russian bear, until they get a poke in the nose back.  

Donald is very annoyed that Iran does not seem to be falling into line, given the amount of equipment that has been on the move from the US to the Mideast for the past couple of days.

Iran's chief negotiator Ghalibaf in a new interview declares Iran is 'ready for war' and 'our negotiations with the US are now finished' until Iran gets its frozen funds, Israel fully withdraws and ends all operations in Lebanon 'we will not proceed to the other issues. Ghalibaf adds recent US strikes on Iran were a pure 'violation of the ceasefire.' 

And there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Stock up while you can.  Madness is in the air. 

Remember your souls and each other, for that is what this is all about. 

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.

Have a pleasant evening.