Gold +2.5% in April

Stories of interest ~ Special reports
* Stocks priced for perfection -Sp. Offer
* Too much like 1929 -PrBear
* Home Sales Plunge to 18-yr Low in March -AP
* Coin collecting a good investment? -SunTimes
* $4 Gas Coming to a Pump Near You -BL
* US dollar on knife's edge -FSU
* Danger! Market partying like it's March 2000 -MSN
* DOLLAR GLOOM = GOLD BOOM! -Sp. Offer
* Put "sell high, buy low" strategy to work -CRS
* The Savage Truth About Gold - Sp. Offer
* Experts Agree: $1,000 Gold Ahead -Sp Offer
***** Today's :60 "Golden Minute" *****

* Gold prices fell back near $675/oz. early Thursday as the dollar rebounded from near historic lows and oil prices fell. Gold closed in NY down $9.60 to $674.40/oz., silver fell $.46 to $13.28/oz.

* "I think the dollar strength and the strength in the Dow in the last few days have actually pushed aside the metals," Joseph Guzzardi at Sabin Commodities said from the COMEX floor to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the Dow struggled to stay atop the 13,000 nominal high Thursday that it reached for the first time on Wednesday on encouraging economic data and earnings reports. The inflation-adjusted Dow now stands at 10,660 (see chart).

* "This is looking more and more like the complete madness seen in 1999-2000, though playing out across a different stage, with different themes and for different reasons. One day, folks will look back on this period and marvel at what passed for wisdom," writes Bill Fleckenstein for MSN.

* "Every smart investor hopes to buy low and sell high. The hard part is determining what�s low and what�s high. My simple, time-tested strategy is to sell-high, then buy-low! With the Dow cresting 13,000, what better time to take some profit off the table and move it into gold?" asks Swiss America CEO Craig R. Smith.

* The dollar traded near its record low against the euro Wednesday, after mixed readings on orders for U.S. durable goods and sales of new homes reinforced market expectations that U.S. interest rates have peaked at their current level of 5.25%.

* "The dollar is close to breaking through support levels and if it does that then it could have significant implications for all markets, and certainly for the Treasury market in terms of inflation," Bill Gross of PIMCO told Bloomberg television Monday.

* "A near-perfect storm has aligned both technically and fundamentally for gold," said Peter Grandich, editor of the Grandich Letter. "A test of the 2006 highs around $735 is not a question of if, but when," reports MW.

"The current bull market for gold could last another five years, if certain conditions are in place, and the metal's price could soar to an incredible $1,500/oz. Investors should buy gold to beat the current period of stagflation," says Merrill Lynch economist David Rosenberg.

The dollar took a pounding against major currencies last week, hitting a 26-year low against the British pound, and approaching an all-time low against the euro, after the latest U.S. inflation numbers dampened expectations of a Fed rate hike.

"A sharp decline in the Dollar Index below the 80 level will likely take down the bond, stock, and real estate markets as well. Since a lower dollar will exert additional upward pressure on already rising consumer prices, the ensuing combination of rising inflation, higher interest rates and lower asset prices will be a toxic mix," writes Peter Schiff of Euro Pacific Capital.

"Dollar weakness will continue and gold will eventually soar based primarily on this factor," said Adrian Day, president of Annapolis, Maryland-based Adrian Day's Asset Management, which has $113 million in assets, reports Bloomberg.

"Gold prices could exceed last year�s 26-year high of $730 an ounce within the next 12 months due to a weaker dollar, rising geopolitical tensions and an investment led rally," according to the annual survey by GFMS, the metals consultancy, reports FT.

"My conservative expectation is that gold will end the year decisively above $700/oz., which equates to at least a 15% gain for the year. However, we cannot rule out various economic wild cards, such as Iran or a spike in oil prices, which could send gold soaring above $800 an ounce or more at any point," said Craig R. Smith, in a recent interview.

* "If gold can rise and stay above $690, then $722 will become an easy target. That would reconfirm that a very strong bull market is underway," reports Mary Anne and Pamela Aden of Aden Forecast.com

On Wall Street...

* Crude-oil prices rose back above $65 a barrel Wednesday as gasoline inventories fell. Worries that violence in Nigeria might spread and disrupt exports from the world's eighth-biggest oil producer still lingered.

* U.S stocks rose on Wednesday, sending the Dow above the key 13,000 level, as news of better-than-expected orders for durable goods in March and surging profits at Amazon.com boosted sentiment.

* "All 14 'strategists' at the largest Wall Street Firms are calling for a higher [stock] market in 2007. The last time this bullish consensus occurred was at the start of 2001. The DJIA subsequently fell 40% over the next 2 years," reports TheMarketOracle.com

* U.S. consumer prices increased 0.6% in March, the biggest increase since last April, led by energy costs, the Labor Department said last week.

Fed policymakers expressed concerns about "uncomfortably high" inflation and softening economic conditions but remained optimistic about improvements, minutes from last month's meeting AFP reported last week.

Prudent Bear Fund manager David Tice forecasts a 50 percent to 60 percent decline in the market over the next two years," reports NY Times.

According to Tice, �What we have is gross credit excess� on both the personal and national levels, he said, and credit excesses fuel the speculative manias of classic boom-bust cycles. �Individuals are using their homes as an A.T.M. machine with home equity loans,� he added.

"Commodities prices are outpacing stocks and bonds for the first time in nine months and, according to many analysts, the quarterly rebound is likely to continue as China keeps increasing its imports of raw materials," reports Bloomberg.

Free "Rare Opportunity" booklet and audio CD with WND founder Joseph Farah... more

Market Volatility Ahead

"Real estate prices will go down 40-50 percent in bubble areas. There will be massive defaults. This time it'll be worse because we haven't had this kind of speculative buying in U.S. history," says Jim Rogers.

"A recession and a meltdown in the mortgage market could easily give you a 25 to 30 percent plunge in the major indices - the S&P 500, the Nasdaq composite, and the Dow. Birds of a feather who have been shot fall together," said Pace University's Professor Robert H. Parks to The Journal News.

"I recommend an age-old strategy to offset market volatility and insure your nest egg never crashes to the ground, as stocks and paper currencies are prone to during turbulent times. Owning some of history's indestructible shiny yellow metal, gold, can also help make your portfolio indestructible today," says Craig R. Smith.

"With gold only taking a tiny proportion of new money going into investments of all kinds � just $14 billion last year � there is clearly huge upside potential should big money decide to move into it for any reason. Gold should be a core holding in everyone�s portfolio. 10 per cent would be a good figure," writes Moneyweek.

"The drivers for gold look set to support firm prices over the year ahead. We believe that the next sustainable rally phase will successfully challenge and exceed the existing highs at $728," said analysts Ray Hanson and Robert Sluymer of RBC Capital Markets.

"The dollar has been crushed," said Marc Chandler, global head of currency strategy at Brown Brothers Harriman. "The fear of a hard-landing in the U.S. seems to be gathering force."

"All of the markets have been volatile and the precious metals have not been an exception. These markets, however, remain bullish. Despite the recent downward corrections, the major trends are up. With the dollar now in a renewed declined, this will continue to keep upward pressure on gold, write The Adens.

"Gold analytics, charts and quantitative models are showing bullish patterns. In the past these kinds of patterns in gold, in spite of disinflation and deflation, have preceded a massive rise in gold through panic buying and a nasty meltdown-type collapse in the financial markets," opines IndiaDaily.

"Gold remains well below the price it would be trading if government-led gold cartel wasn�t regularly intervening to keep gold as low as it can. The volatility in the stock market and growing nervousness about asset quality of sub-prime mortgages is another reason to own gold," says James Turk of Goldmoney.com.

"If your outgo is higher than your income, your upkeep will be your downfall. Like the 80-year-old woman who borrowed her way into home disownership, so are millions of American homeowners. They, too, think they have a perpetual ATM machine: their homes. They also think they have a backup ATM machine: the U.S. government," reports Dr. Gary North at LewRockwell.com.

2007 Golden Trends...

"The rise of gold and the fall of the dollar are issuing strong warning signals that the Fed is veering into uncharted territory, a territory that would be labeled off limits if it were on a ski slope. The slippery slope entered may cause havoc in asset prices ranging from equities to fixed income to real estate," writes Axel Merk in The Merk Perspective.

"Commodities should be on every investor�s wish lists as the sector is in the middle of a �super cycle� that occurs only once every 50 years, according to BlackRock Merrill Lynch.

"The Swiss strategy of diversification indicates now is the time to buy gold, oil and bonds while waiting for the market to tell us if this is a trade-driven sell-off or an overdue stock market correction from the rampant speculation of the last four years," said Craig Smith.

"Gold is headed toward $1,000/oz. and is still a great bargain under $700/oz. As this gold bull bucks up and down it seeks to shake off uncommitted, short-term investors and speculators, offering long-term investors yet another opportunity to participate in this ongoing secular bull market," says Craig R. Smith.

Experts say the global stock market rout in February triggered the recent gold sell-off as investors cashed out bullion holdings to cover margin calls. Others analysts say major speculative funds are selling and withdrawing from exchange traded gold funds.

"South African gold production fell by 7.5 percent in 2006, its lowest level in 84 years, as lower grades were mined because of higher gold prices, according to the Chamber of Mines.

Investor sentiment remains bullish on gold so far in 2007 as precious metals continue to outperform the major stock indexes for the sixth consecutive year.

"With the pullback in so many markets, it is fair to say that the gold and silver pullback is not about gold and silver," said Julian Phillips, an analyst at GoldForecaster.com. "These falls [have more] to do with short-term traders perceptions and technical selling."

"If anything, the sell-off in Chinese stocks will increase demand for gold," said James Turk, founder of GoldMoney.com. "As investors in China get burned with stocks, they will shy away from speculative stuff, and opt for the security that gold offers," reported Mr. Turk to Bloomberg,

"You don't have to be a bear these days to take a shine to the yellow metal. I think there's room for gold in everyone's portfolio... but I thought I'd do some homework to make sure that my next foray into precious metals proves more rewarding then the last one," writes Igor Greenwald at Smartmoney.com. [Ed. Note: Learn before you earn!]

"We are about witness the largest upleg of the gold bull, which will make the gains of the dotcom boom seem like minor blips on the radar. The bullish indicators are all lighting up and we are forecasting some fireworks on the horizon," reports Jason Hamlin at goldstockbull.com.

"Gold has no agenda, no allegiance and functions as honest money in a world of lies, corruption, overstatement and spin. $700 to $705 might well be a place certain interests will try and block gold, but their only hope is for momentary success. $761 is yanking at gold from the front with great power. $887.50, a break above $1000 and $1650 are putting their grip on the royal metal as well," writes Jim Sinclair of JSmineset.com.

"Gold's recent rally might be an indication that the Fed and Bernanke are losing credibility and that the Fed is all talk and no action," said Peter Schiff, president of Euro Pacific Capital to MW. "The Fed is afraid of raising interest rates, but it can't let the market know that. Gold's saying we don't believe you. The Fed wants to maintain the illusion that they're going to raise rates, because the economy can't stand it," Schiff said.

"What is the price of gold warning us of?" CNBC asked Peter Schiff of Europac. Mr. Schiff said rising gold is a sign of a loss of international confidence in the U.S dollar and also warning of a major decline in stock prices, sighting that the "Dow/Gold ratio" has fallen from 44-to-1 back in 1999 to 19-to-1 today.

The Dow theorist Richard Russell says the Dow/Gold ratio will eventually fall to 1-to-1. "The reversal of this huge rise in the ratio will be a major decline, a decline to the point where the Dow again might buy only 1 ounce of gold or even less. This will require either a huge rise in gold or a massive decline in the Dow - or probably both."

"The gold market has been and will remain restrained like a magnificent bull with numerous gigantic reins, hardly rampaging, but surely towing the gaggle of central bankers uphill. Since the currency system is unfixable, and debt must accelerate, the gold bull will breathe endless life, since the alternative is a rampaging recession aggravated by debt default and asset deflation," says Jim Willie editor of the HAT TRICK LETTER.

"Our current financial condition is worse than is widely understood", reported U.S. Comptroller David Walker to Congress in February. "Our current fiscal path is both imprudent and unsustainable. Improvements in information and processes are needed and can help. Meeting our long-term fiscal challenge will require (1) significant entitlement reform; (2) reprioritizing and constraining other spending programs; and (3) more revenues--hopefully through a reformed tax system. This will take bipartisan cooperation and compromise." Full Report pdf

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said recently the U.S. government may face a "fiscal crisis" in the coming decades should it fail to deal with the rising costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid programs. "If early and meaningful action is not taken, the U.S. economy could be seriously weakened, with future generations bearing much of the cost," Bernanke said.

"The Bank Credit Analyst (BCA) has identified four pillars cementing the case for a long-term bull market in gold bullion; global liquidity, rising investor demand, central bank buying and Chinese/Indian gold demand," reports Mineweb.

"What we are witnessing are two worldviews on gold. U.S. traders are in 'la-la land' and are bearish on gold and bullish on paper. The rest of the world is bullish on gold and bearish on the U.S. dollar," said Ned Schmidt, editor of the Value View Gold Report.

"In the next few months, we could get a severe correction in all asset markets," Marc Faber told Bloomberg TV, but "The price of gold will continue to go up and probably very substantially."

In 2006 Faber told Bloomberg, "A vicious drop in the Dow coupled with a vicious rise in gold, possibly pushing gold to an astounding $2,000, $3,000 or even $6,000 an an ounce." (Read Who Sees Four-Digit Gold?). March 2007 STORIES

Recent stories of interest...
* Commodities in middle of rare 'super-cycle' -IFA
* Foreclosures up 47% YOY -MW
* Gold market is working its way toward $700: analysts
* Dollar Near Record Low Vs. Euro -AP
* LISTEN: "Gold: The financial light of the world" -Savage
* Gold Rises to 1-Year High on Demand for Dollar Alternative -BL
* $1,500/oz gold within five years -Merrill
* 7 forces driving gold in 2007 -WND
* Gold poised for record run -FT
* Soros operation behind Imus take-down -NYT
* Poll: POLL: 60% see recession ahead -CNN
* Roaring gold's up trend is 'solid' -Inet
* Iran leads attack against U.S. dollar -WND
* $1B Pledged to Fend Off Foreclosures -WP
* Housing boom now busting many -Sp. Offer
* China slams US over new WTO complaints -FT
* "Commodities best place to be" -Jim Rogers
* Dollar falls on housing, trade dispute -MW
* Ready for the Worst -NYT
* Iran releases Brit sailors to show Islam 'compassionate' -Telegraph
* New Century files for bankruptcy -MW
* Persian Gulf stranglehold -WND
* Seven reasons why gold should surge above $800 -MW
* The stock is dead, long live commodities, says Rogers -FA
* Iran could trigger $100 oil -MW
* Why $2,000 gold is logical -Editor
* Six reasons why gold bull still healthy -Adens
* In Gold Coins We Trust -Editor
* Stocks Fall on Bernanke Inflation Remark -AP
* On Housing, �Worst Is Yet To Come' -NYS
* Iran could try UK sailors -FT
* Abusive Lending, Fraud Fueled Subprime Loan Crisis, US Comptroller Says -BL
* Gold gains as Fed stands pat -MW
* WAKE UP CALL: U.S. Heading For Financial Trouble -CBS
* Top Forecaster Sees Year Without Rate Increases -USAT
* Major US mortgage lenders that have croaked -I-O-M
* Houses cheaper than cars in Detroit -Reuters
* Top investor sees U.S. property crash -Reuters