Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Suffocated by Worries, Seduced by Wealth

 

"You brood of vipers.   How can you speak goodness when you are evil?  From the depths of the heart the mouth speaks.  The good bring forth goodness from their reserves of good, and the evil bring forth evil, from the depths of their treasures wrought in evil."

Matthew 12:34-35

"The mystery of the poor is this: that they are Jesus, and what you do for them you do for Him.  It is the only way we have of knowing and believing in our love.  The mystery of poverty is that by sharing in it, making ourselves poor in giving to others, we increase our knowledge of and belief in love."

Dorothy Day 

 

"The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it."

Matthew 13:22-23 

 

"The world would be better off if people tried to become better.  And people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.  For when everybody tries to become better off, nobody is better off.  But when everybody tries to become better, everybody is better off. 

What we give to the poor for Christ's sake, is what we carry with us when we die." 

Peter Maurin

 

"And what does the Lord require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?" 

Micah 6:8

 

The message of the gospel is simple, clear, and straightforward.

But the word that has been planted in most is suffocated by the worries of the world, or seduced by wealth.

So we make it disputatious and complex, because the evil in us loves to hide the light with complexity.

It is a way to blind our eyes and harden our hearts against the heart of the law.

It is the leaven of the Pharisees.

Stocks dropped hard today and went out on the lows as risk was once again discovered.

Do these jokers seem bipolar or what?

It presents in these endless wash and rinse cycles in the markets.

Apparently the concerns about Russia and its position with regard to the Ukraine is open to some differences of opinion.

With the VIX climbing gold and silver had an exceptional day to the upside, especially gold, which took and held the $1900 level.

The Dollar chopped sideways and finished marginally higher.

The US is heading into a three day weekend, with Monday a holiday for the financial markets.

Stock option expiration tomorrow.

It will take some conviction as things stand now to hold a position into this long weekend.

Have a pleasant evening.

 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - How Deep Is Our Hypocrisy

 

"My brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slower to become angry.  Anger does not produce the good that God requires.  Avoid the corruption and wickedness in your lives, and humbly accept the word that God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save you. 

Do not just listen to God’s word, but do what it says.  Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.  If you claim to be religious but don’t control your words, you are fooling yourself, and your religious observance is worthless.  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress, and refusing to allow the world to corrupt you. 

James 1:19-23, 26-27

 

"Far be it from us thus to fight against God's gracious purposes to man, and to make the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died!  Let us acknowledge all to be Christians, who have not by open word or deed renounced their fellowship with us, and let us try to lead them on into all truth.  

And for ourselves, let us endeavour to enter more and more fully into the meaning of our own prayers and professions; let us humble ourselves for the very little we do, and the poor advance we make; let us avoid unnecessary display of religion; let us do our duty in that state of life to which God has called us. 

Whether rich or poor, learned or unlearned, walking by this rule, we shall become, at length, true saints, sons of God.  We shall be upright and perfect, lights in the world, the image of Him who died that we might be conformed to His likeness."

John Henry Newman 

 

"For such men are false and deceitful preachers, who masquerade as apostles of Christ.  And no surprise, for even Satan can present himself as an angel of light.  So it is not strange that his ministers can also masquerade as ministers of righteousness.  Their ends will correspond to their actions." 

2 Cor 11:13-15

Stocks slumped today, but managed to take back their losses in the afternoon to finish slightly in the green.

Gold and silver rallied, still stuck on key overhead resistance.

The Fed minutes released this afternoon were dovish.  What a surprise.

The dollar fell.

Option expiration on Friday.

Have a pleasant evening.

 

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Relief Rally - Option Expiration on Friday

 

"Do you not yet see and understand?  Are your hearts that hardened?   Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?  Don't you remember anything?"

Mark 8:17-18

 

“Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is a pious hypocrisy.  There is nothing covered that will not be uncovered, nothing hidden that will not be made known.  Whatever has been said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what has been whispered in private will be proclaimed from the rooftops."

Luke 12:1-3

 

"Now, it is plain that humility and teachableness are qualities of mind necessary for arriving at the truth in any subject, and in religious matters as well as others.  Impatient, proud, self-confident, obstinate men, are generally wrong in the opinions they form of persons and things.  Prejudice and self-conceit blind the eyes and mislead the judgment, whatever be the subject inquired into.  

When I see a person hasty and violent, harsh and high-minded, careless of what others feel, and disdainful of what they think;—when I see such a one proceeding to inquire into religious subjects, I am sure beforehand he cannot go right—he will not be led into all the truth—it is contrary to the nature of things and the experience of the world, that he should find what he is seeking. I should say the same were he seeking to find out what to believe or do in any other matter not religious,—but especially in any such important and solemn inquiry; for the fear of the Lord (humbleness, teachableness, reverence towards Him) is the very beginning of wisdom."

John Henry Newman

 

Stocks shook off geopolitical and other concerns and rallied higher, providing much needed relief for frustrated bulls.

Relief rally, get it?

Gold, silver and dollar fell as complacency broke out

Stock option expiration on Friday.

Have a pleasant evening.

Stocks and Precious Metals Charts - Risk of Not Understanding the Risks - Option Expiration on Friday

 

"I have told you all these things so that in me you may have peace.  Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows.  But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

 

"When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.  For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

James 1:2-4

 

"The Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.  Sighing from the depths of his spirit he said, 'Why does this generation seek a sign?  Amen, I say to you, no such sign will be given to this generation.'”

 Mark 8:11-12 

There will be a stock option expiration this Friday.

Stocks slumped today, but managed to take back much if not all of their losses in the afternoon.

The risks associated with the geo-politics of the Ukraine, and the Fed's upcoming moves are fluid.

Gold and silver rallied today along with the Dollar.

Boys just want to have fun.

Have a pleasant evening.