NAV Premiums of Certain Precious Metals Trusts and Funds - Banks Rigging Derivatives

It appears that the overnight hit on the metals for Payrolls Friday got stuffed pretty handily when the jobs number came in light.

Silver is still up although gold has been pressed back a bit.

The CFTC is investigating fifteen of the biggest banks on evidence handed to them that they were rigging a key derivative for interest rates.

"ISDAfix is published each morning after banks submit bids for swaps via Icap, the inter-dealer broker, in a number of currencies. The CFTC has been investigating suggestions that the banks deliberately moved the rate in order to profit on these deals.

Given the hundreds of trillions of dollars worth of interest rate derivatives trades that occur annually, even the slightest manipulation can have a substantial effect.

The CFTC, which started to investigate ISDAfix after last summer’s Libor scandal has now been handed emails and phone call recordings that show the rate was deliberately moved..."

When crime pays, why wonder that it flourishes? And they have little fear, and no shame.

Gold Daily and Silver Weekly Charts - The Day Before the Non-Farm Payrolls Report

The metals were capped lower today as stocks went running higher. Gold was hit a bit harder than silver.

The August delivery period now begins.

Stand and deliver.

SP 500 and NDX Futures Daily Charts - A Record Close on the SP 500

A better than expected on manufacturing in the ISM Index and a lighter than expected number of new unemployment claims had the bulls stampeding higher to a new record close on the SP 500.

Tomorrow is the Non-Farm Payrolls report.

Traders believe now that the Fed will keep printing money while inflation remains subdued.  Or at least that is the word for today.

A Forensic Investigation of Gold

This is interesting, but apparently somewhat tentative, which is understandable given the nature of the subject.

I am not in a position to assess it quite yet, but I thought it was worth sharing to see what you all might think. I intend to follow this closely and spend more time looking into it. Today I am preoccupied with the wonders of the healthcare system.

I find the opacity in these exchanges and funds to be somewhat frustrating as I am sure many do, as well as the lack of detailed independent audits and full and timely disclosure, especially with regard to what might be considered to be public information.

But still the effort can be made to untangle things as best we can.

Here is a summary of key points by Mr. Ferguson of the analysis.

"GLD was "funded" with gold leased out (sold) by the BoE and SNB.

With everything going on, not only are those entities no longer willing to provide supply, they're actually taking their gold back before it's too late.

Holders like Paulson and Soros are the "fly in the ointment" as they have a GLD claim on the same gold that the BoE and SNB claim as their own "leased" assets.

We are witnessing a managed, slow-burn "run" on the London vaults, where supposed "allocated" gold rests for entities worldwide but this gold has instead been leased out, not only to the GLD, but sold into the market and currently dangling around the necks and wrists of Asians as well as being recast into 1Kg Chinese bars."

Read the entire article here.

I would imagine it would be fairly easy for GLD to address any mistakes in this with a clear statement with regard to any claims or counterclaims on its bullion.