By Matthew Kerkhoff

For the last few months, we’ve been commenting on the “stealth” nature of this bull market. While most investor attention has been focused on the major averages, which have been laying low, many of the junior indexes have taken out their high-water marks. That left us with the impression that the majors would soon follow.

The list of indexes that have climbed to new highs following the February swoon is quite exhaustive.

Richard’s Comments

March 17, 2010

The great bull market in gold has been in force for almost a decade.  I've shown where gold, since 2000, has closed higher for nine consecutive years.  During that time gold has advanced from prices in the 200s to its current price of approximately 1124.

Now suppose the stock market had done the same thing.  Can you imagine the frenzy that would be greeting stocks today?  Yet, incredibly, the fantastic bull market in gold has elicited little or no excitement from the US public.

By Chuck Butler

Welcome to another edition of the Butler Patio… I’m currently stuck in S. Florida, so I have no patio to preach from at the moment, but if I put it all down in words on paper, somebody will read it!

The Trade War digs its heels in deeper… Gold continues to be subjected to China’s whims, and just when everyone is thinking that it’s happy days are here again, the economy is showing signs of fatigue…  And of course there’s bound to be a discussion about Central Banks and bankers after that heading above, eh?

The closing bell brought relief of some sorts today, after a brutal beating in the precious metals and not much joy in equities, either. For the precious metals, it was mostly just a matter of the bearish trend running the show, after key support levels were taken out in the last few days. Excuses du jour included a strong dollar and more drama out of the Turkish situation. Sharply lower stock prices caught a break after the announcement of better than expected retail sales, worker productivity, and solid manufacturing output, however.