That immediately fueled further speculation that the ECB is going to be forced to implement some sort of QE over there in order to try to force a turnaround in the lackluster economy.
With a meeting of the ECB later this week, traders are paying even more close attention to what will come out of it in regards to potential moves by the Central Bank.
The currency has fallen through one level of chart support after another and as of yet still shows no sign of bottoming. Today's session low is right smack dab in the support zone noted. If that does not stem the bleeding, I do not see anything on the chart until below 1.2400.
With the Euro getting steamrolled and falling below support near 1.2650 and even psychological support at round number 1.2600, the US Dollar is soaring higher. As it moves higher, the commodity complex is also getting hammered.
Crude oil in particular is reeling as it is currently down more than $3.00/bbl as I type these comments. The low is near $91 thus far. There is some chart support just below the market near the zone from $90.60-$90.40, which if that fails to hold this market, is the last support zone I see on the crude chart until closer to the $87.50 level.
Silver has completely fallen out of bed as it is down more than 3% at this time and has lost psychological chart support near $17.00. It is trying to stabilize there but copper is threatening the $3.00 level and if it goes, so too will silver.
The Goldman Sachs Commodity Complex is imploding with the index currently down over 2% and notching a brand new, fresh 27 month low. Even cattle are seeing selling pressure today which is something considering the strength in that complex.
The strong dollar simply makes US exports that much more expensive on the global market and that fact tends to undercut buying. The Dollar is working its way steadily towards the next zone of resistance on the chart ( 86.50 - 87.00).
The Brazilian Real is also continuing to fall against the Dollar making US soybeans less competitive with Brazilian-origin beans as well. Again, most grain traders that I have known over the years haven't a clue about currency exchange ranges and tend to be myopically focused on the US domestic market to the exclusion of the impact of currency exchange rates on export business.
With today being the actual end of the quarter and the end of the month, these large moves in the markets may also be partially attributed to book squaring and evening of positions. The start of the new month will be very interesting to see how fund managers intend to position themselves as they put money back to work.
Here is a chart of the GSCI:
The HUI has completely surrendered all of its gains for 2014 and is now trading well below the ending level made on December 2013.
Here is the most recent TIPs spread chart overlaid with the gold price. Notice how the two seem to be moving in perfect harmony. The market is simply not the least bit worried about any inflation at this point.
One last chart for right now... it is the big gold ETF, GLD, which reported holdings that once more dropped. Total holdings are now at 772.25 tons, having now dropped to a level last seen in early December of 2008. All that gold that was bought based on the experiment we now call Quantitative Easing has been sold and the money put to work elsewhere. Simply put, Western-origin gold investment demand stinks to high heaven. Just remember that whenever some huckster out there regales you with wild, baseless and unverifiable claims of "massive gold buying".
Sure someone is buying the gold that is being sold but that is true in any market, even as it falls in price because there must always be a buyer when there is a seller. The point to remember however is that if there are more sellers willing to sell at a lower price than there are buyers willing to buy at a high price, the price is going to go down. Period!
A last written item - in watching the Japanese Yen trade in the midst of this carnage this morning, I am noting some firmness in that currency, as well as in the bond market, telling us that there is some safe haven buying occurring against this backdrop. It does appear that is what is keeping gold supported about the $1200 level for now even as the gold mining shares evaporate in price.