9/19/2024

Gold and silver on the bid as markets digest Fed easing

OUTSIDE MARKET DEVELOPMENTS: The Fed went big yesterday, initiating its first easing campaign in over four years with a 'crisis-sized' rate cut of 50 bps.  The last rate cuts greater than 25 bps were in 2020 during the COVID crisis and in 2008 during the global financial crisis.

"In light of the progress on inflation and the balance of risks, the Committee decided to lower the target range for the federal funds rate by 1/2 percentage point to 4-3/4 to 5 percent." – FOMC Policy Statement

That hardly seems like a crisis. One might deduce it was an acknowledgment by the Fed that they were behind the curve on easing in the same way they were tardy in raising rates as inflation climbed. Chairman Powell begged to differ...

"We don’t think we’re behind...We think this is timely, but I think you can take this as a sign of our commitment not to get behind.” – Fed Chairman Jerome Powell

I thought cooler heads would prevail, but there was only one in the board room of the Echles Building over the previous two days. Fed Governor Michelle Bowman (centrist/hawk) was the lone dissenter who saw a 25 bps cut as a more appropriate response to the current conditions. It was the first vote against an interest-rate decision in nearly 20 years.

Those more cynical of the central bank's motivation view the oversized cut as a means to juice the flagging economy with just 47 days until election day.

Some worry that the Fed is seeing something that indicates the economy and/or the labor market is in real trouble, but that's not reflected in the economic projections. The median expectation for 2024 GDP was nudged down to 2.0% from 2.1% in June, while 2025, and 2026 remained at 2.0%. The Fed now also sees 2.0% growth in 2027. The longer-run outlook for GDP was left unchanged at 1.8%. Median expectations for unemployment were up modestly over the June projections. 

Focus now shifts to the pace and size of cuts through year-end and into H1'25. Cuts of 25 bps are favored for each of the two remaining FOMC meetings this year. The dots project a Fed funds rate of 3.4% in 2025 and 2.9% in 2026, where it will hold steady.

That implies that 185 bps in cuts are still to come in the newly launched easing cycle. Markets view this as a big-ol' RISK ON signal from the Fed. The DJIA and S&P500 have surged to new record highs. The NASDAQ is up sharply but remains off its record.

There are worries that the Fed is stoking an asset bubble that's not going to end well for investors. ”The danger this time around is the extreme level of complacency and the widespread consensus that the business cycle has been repealed,” writes Economist David Rosenberg.

Be assured that the business cycle is still a thing. And the Fed has only orchestrated one soft landing (1994-1995) in the modern era. The odds are against them.

The BoE opted to hold steady on rates today, as was widely expected. They signaled that further cuts are still in the cards. "It is vital that inflation stays low, so we need to be careful not to cut too fast or by too much," said Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey.

Norway's Norges Bank held steady as well and indicated they would remain on hold until 2025.

The U.S. Philly Fed Manufacturing Index jumped to 1.7 in September, above expectations of -1.0, versus -7.0 in August. New orders fell to -1.5 from 14.6. Prices paid rose 10 points to 34.0 while prices received increased 10.9 points to 24.6.  The employment component improved, but the workweek contracted.

The U.S. current account deficit widened to -$266.8 bln in Q2, outside expectations of -$260.0 bln, versus a revised -$241.0 bln in Q1. The $25.8 billion widening of "reflected an expanded deficit on goods" according to the BEA.

Initial jobless claims fell 12k to a 17-week low of 219k in the week ended 14-Sep. Continuing jobless claims fell to 1,829K from a revised 1,843k in the previous week.

Leading Indicators fell 0.2% in August, inside expectations of -0.3%, versus -0.6% in July. There hasn't been an increase since February of 2022. The 100.2 print is the lowest since October 2016.

Existing home sales fell 2.5% in August to 3.86M, below expectations of 3.9M, versus an upward revised 3.96M in July. While prices have moderated somewhat as supply and mortgage rates have improved, considerable headwinds for the real estate market persist.

GOLD

OVERNIGHT CHANGE THROUGH 6:00 AM CDT: +$29.54 (+1.15%)
5-Day Change: +$30.10 (+1.18%)
YTD Range: $1,986.16 - $2,597.42
52-Week Range: $1,812.39 - $2,597.42
Weighted Alpha: +36.14

Gold is back in the bid after a bout of post-FOMC volatility yesterday. While the yellow metal remains within the confines of Wednesday's range, the record high at $2,597.42 is within striking distance.

 

The $2,597.15 measuring objective off the August/early-September consolidation has been satisfied. A move above $2,600 seems likely amid expectations for significant additional easing by the Fed through Q2'26. The next upside targets are $2,619.35 and $2,674.84 based on Fibonacci projections.

With each new record high, the $3,000 psychological objective looks more and more attractive. Suddenly what seemed like a pretty lofty goal is just over $400 (15.44%) away.

A minor intraday low at $2,573.90 defines initial support and protects the more important $2.552.80/$2.549.18 zone, which is highlighted by today's low and yesterday's low. Additional support is marked by previous highs at $2,529.57/$2,525.52, which continues to correspond with the 20-day moving average which is at $2,527.88 today.

The gold market is still pretty overbought and therefore vulnerable to correction. Traders may want to try and shake out some of the weak longs that recently entered the market. However, the trend remains undeniably bullish and setbacks will likely attract more buyers.

SILVER

OVERNIGHT CHANGE THROUGH 6:00 AM CDT: +1.090 (+3.63%)
5-Day Change: +$1.323 (+4.43%)
YTD Range: $21.945 - $32.379
52-Week Range: $20.704 - $32.379
Weighted Alpha: +35.89

Silver remains volatile with another broad range today. The white metal has set a fresh nine-week high of $31.249, clearing the way for a short-term challenge of the $31.652 high from 11-Jul.



Yesterday's big rate cut, expectations of even easier policy in the months ahead, and today's Philly Fed beat have emboldened the bull camp. Considerable credence has been returned to the scenario that calls for an eventual retest of the high for the year at $32.379 (21-May).

A word of caution: Silver frequently makes it hard on bulls. Volatility is high right now so it wouldn't be surprising to see some longs square up ahead of the weekend. While the launch of the Fed's easing cycle provides a tailwind for the market, the odds of a soft landing remain long.

Intraday support at $30.711 stands in front of the low for the day at $29.937 and Wednesday's low at $29.850. Good support is offered by rising moving averages at $29.409/364 (100-day & 20-day) and $28.974 (50-day).


Peter A. Grant
Vice President, Senior Metals Strategist
Zaner Metals LLC
Tornado Precious Metals Solutions by Zaner
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