There are a rapidly growing number of blue chip stocks that are breaking down below key moving averages and levels of support: Click to enlarge BA CAT GE VLO Add this to the persistent weakness in small caps, deteriorating market breadth, bearish seasonality and there are mounting warning signs that an inflection point for equities… Continue Reading

After a tumultuous week gold once again found support near $1290 and posted an impressive rebound to close the week: Click to enlarge A bullish engulfing candlestick on Friday along with the promise of the seasonally bullish August/September months being right around the corner offer gold bulls plenty to be smiling about this weekend: Source: Casey… Continue Reading

In the era of ultra-low put/call ratios and an apparent lack of need for portfolio hedging due to the indefatigable equity uptrend, it has become unusual to see the index put/call ratio spike above 1.50. Today the index put/call ratio closed above 1.50 for the first time since April 1st: Click to enlarge It just… Continue Reading

Economic bellwether Caterpillar (CAT) reported disappointing revenue numbers this morning and the stock is under pressure: Click to enlarge  Breaking the large rising wedge to the downside – support exists near $105 and then at the May lows in the $100-$101 area In its earnings press release Caterpillar attributed much of the top line weakness… Continue Reading

Troy Eckard, CEO of Eckard Global, Carl Tricoli, co-founder and managing partner of Denham Capital Management, and Wil Vanloh, co-founder and chief executive of Quantum Energy Partners, participate in a panel discussion about deal-making in the energy industry and opportunities for private equity. At the following LINK you can see the panel discussion from the Bloomberg… Continue Reading

The shares of the senior gold producers continue to exhibit impressive resilience as they threaten a breakout from a 15-month head & shoulders bottom pattern: Click to enlarge There is ample reason for optimism that the 2nd half of 2014 could be even better than the first half for the gold miners – the top… Continue Reading

For the first time in nearly a year there is trouble brewing in bond land: Click to enlarge  HYG – High-Yield Corporate Bond ETF S&P 500 vs. HYG vs. PowerShares Leveraged Loan ETF This could be the first crack in the foundation of the five year long “reach for yield” bull market in corporate bonds… Continue Reading

Stuff we are reading this morning: New Yorker – What is Putin’s Next Move? Advisor Perspectives – Profits – Plus a “Mystery Booster” – Are Driving the Stock Market Higher Marketwatch – We’re in the third biggest stock bubble in U.S. history FT – Gold moves where dollars fear to trade BloombergView – Gold Dreamers Face Harsh Reality

As the coal market continues to remain soft, especially in the currently oversupplied thermal coal sector, Coalspur Mines (CPT:TSX) is doing everything it can to remain solvent.  That challenge has now forced two of the largest shareholders off of the Board. Coalspur recently announced that Colin Steyn and Peter Breese would be resigning from the Board.  The… Continue Reading

Last week, Kaizen Discovery (KZD:TSXV) held a conference call with President and CEO, Matthew Hornor to discuss the recent acquisition of West Cirque Resources, their strategic partnership with ITOCHU Corp and his company’s plans for more acquisitions. Last week, ITOCHU agreed to provide $4.25 million in funding to Kaizen (as part of the West Cirque deal) in… Continue Reading

Bloomberg has a solid profile on KKR founder and private equity tycoon Henry Kravis. The story focuses on the massive leveraged buyout of RJR-Nabisco in 1987, then the largest private equity transaction in history. “We’re going to start our own firm and just focus on something that has never been done before; at the time we called… Continue Reading

After investing $25 million in the latest $1.50 financing, Ivanhoe Mines’ (IVN:TSX) founder and Executive Chairman Robert Friedland now controls 23.8% of the company or 167,133,422 shares (and another 19,166,667 warrants). Today, Ivanhoe announced that the Singapore-based billionaire, Friedland, 61, exercised his overallotment right as part of the financing which enabled him to acquire an additional 2.5 million units at a… Continue Reading

The most western Canadian province of BC continues to attract capital from some the largest and most sophisticated metals and mining shops on the globe.  This time it’s ITOCHU Corp., one of Japan’s leading trading houses and suppliers of metals, who announced this morning that it has agreed to fund $4.25 million worth of exploration on… Continue Reading

This morning, Dominion Diamond (DDC:TSX), the operator of the Ekati mine which was Canada’s first diamond mine, announced that it had come to an agreement with Chuck Fipke to buy his remaining 10% participating interest in the mine for $67 million. Charles E. (Chuck) Fipke’s Dia Met Minerals discovered what would become the Ekati Mine in the Northwest Territories in… Continue Reading

Some noteworthy material we are reading this morning: FT – “Swiss banks threaten freeze on US accounts over tax evasion” Bloomberg – “Bond Anxiety in $1.6 Trillion Treasury Repo Market as Failures Soar” WSJ – “As Food Prices Rise, Fed Keeps a Watchful Eye” Advisor Perspectives – “Houston We Could Have a Problem in Government… Continue Reading