Art Cashin - Watch Plunging Gold Inventories & Backwardation

Art Cashin - Watch Plunging Gold Inventories & Backwardation

Today 50-year veteran Art Cashin warned about major concerns in the gold market because of declining gold inventories.  Cashin, Director of Floor Operations at UBS ($650 billion under management), also cautioned about the backwardation in gold, and noted the massive global demand as well.

Art Cashin:  “All That Glitters Is Not Arbitrage – Monday, spot gold spiked up $45 and the media pundits pointed to things from China to the FOMC.  While all the cited may have been factors, veteran traders saw the bulk of the move resting in a conspiracy story.
 
In my mid-day email to friends I had noted this:
 
Gold soars as NYT story on metal warehouses fans flames of conspiracy theorists that gold warehouse
stores have been "lent" out.  That theory also aided by backwardation (spot price far above near future).
 
If you haven't been following gold closely, let me expand on that a little.  For several months “physical gold” (bracelets, coins and small bars) have seen near riotous demand with long lines stretching into the streets.  At the same time “paper gold” (ETF's, futures and nominal spot) have seen sharply falling prices.  That dichotomy has sparked more than a few conspiracy theories.
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