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"Gold is money and nothing else"
12 November 2007
Paul Mylchreest
Important notice:
See regulatory statement on page 99 of this report.
Important Note:
Thesis: The biggest credit bubble in modern history is showing signs of unravelling in the US.
Debt/credit expansion brings forward consumption – it must either be purged in a deflationary recession, or inflated away through currency debasement. Gold wins in either scenario and is the "go to" asset along with basic commodities, like food and energy.
Gold War
"Gold is money and nothing else"*
Gold price will reach at least US$1,500/oz: we are raising our long-term gold price estimate to US$1,500/oz (from US$900/oz) with the possibility of a spike to US$4,000-5,000/oz. We see gold acting as a 'Giffen good' for a period – a rising price leading to accelerating demand as its investment profile sees a resurgence.
12 November 2007
Rising gold price is a warning signal: it casts doubt on the US economy. We believe inflation is far higher than reported, money supply growth is running at 14%, debt/GDP is nearly 350% (vs the 270% peak in the Depression) and the 'fiscal gap' faced by the Federal Government is US$50-70trn. The Federal Government's accounts have not been signed off by its auditors for ten years. The US faces rapidly rising inflation or deflationary recession: credit cycles (and this one is extreme) always end in a deflationary bust – this is the lesson of the Kondratieff Cycle. The Fed will most likely try to defy economic gravity using increasingly inflationary means. Gold is the only asset to outperform in periods of either uncontrollable inflation or deflation: the US economy is on a knife-edge between the two. A "Crack-up Boom"?: should the Fed choose to stave off recession via inflation, the scene could be set for a "Crack-up Boom". If inflation is perceived to be a deliberate policy, there will be major shift out of financial assets (like cash and bonds) and into "real" assets. Gold will be the asset of choice and gold stocks will experience a bull market. In the report, we highlight Peter Hambro Mining (rated Buy). Natural resources and natural resource stocks will also benefit: the Mining sector as a whole would continue to outperform. Lack of transparency: gold is a vital barometer and if the gold market is not free and transparent, it acts against the interests of businesses, investors and the public. IMF accounting regulations continue to obscure the level of gold remaining in central bank vaults. Furthermore, the use of unallocated gold accounts masks the fractional reserve nature of most gold banking/trading and private investment. Holders of "unallocated" gold are simply unsecured creditors with general claims on "pools" of gold. If all those claiming gold ownership demanded physical delivery, we argue the gold price would soar.
Paul Mylchreest Tel: +44 (0)20 7000 2141 Mob: +44 (0)7843 061 566 email@example.com
www.redburn.com Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
*JP Morgan in testimony to the Pujo hearings in 1913
769 641.9% Source: PHM.203.) Dividend Net Debt/(Cash) PER Gross Yield 2006 261.499 793.928 6.259 7.71 2.60 0.653 89.769 928.5% 2010E 945.470 5.3 1.7% 2009E 837.6 198.397 56.807 49.00 61.0% 2008E 380.24 173.4 328.293 446.964 419.8 0. .940 4.20 63.417 544.069 3.80 1.70 -923.493 308.17 1..908 103.763 620.6 1.964 607.9 818.27 0.908 149..583 9.3 157.6% 2012E 987.00 114.729 45.E 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Source: DATASTREAM Source: Datastream Fig 2: Redburn – representation of the Kondratieff Cycle Source: Redburn Partners Fig 3: Peter Hambro Mining – financial summary 2006-12E (US$ 000s) Gold Production Consolidated Sales Operating Profit (Group) Income before Taxes Net Income Adj EPS (dil.551 71.396 26.0 1.90 2.984 920.3% 2011E 975.25 -456.581 5.80 -143.560 165.3 7.0 3..349.38 0.0% 2007E 283. Redburn Partners estimates 4 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Performance data Performance and summaryand summary data Fig 1: Gold price in "real terms" adjusted for US CPI 5/11/07 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 70 72 74 76 78 80 GOLDBLN/USCP.092 30.860 77.1 6.783 6.917 789.046.022 463.4 0.6 0.876 48.6 5.984 0.350 1.556 0.
World gold production has been flat at about 2. these holders are simply unsecured creditors: ownership of the gold resides with the bank. took place in less than three months – when big money really moves into the gold market. Even adjusting this price for the low-balled US CPI gives a price well over US$2. when the price rose 128%. swap or even sell it. In our view. Barrick. Gold supply and demand cannot be modelled since almost all the gold ever mined remains as potential supply. The current K-Cycle began in 1948 and is the fourth since the Industrial Revolution. The fact that that many investors had not perceived there was a credit bubble (and an extreme one at that) before the well-publicised problems with the Bear Stearns' subprime funds.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Executive Executive summary summary In our view. particularly gold. when there is a shift out of financial assets. the US would have gone into a deflationary recession following the TMTdriven stock market crash in 2000. We believe gold forms part of their diversification strategy.5trn pa. where holders have a paper claim to a general pool of gold. which purges the debt and the asset bubbles from the system. the majority of investors are still not taking gold seriously as an asset class. A major reason for holding gold is protection against financial crises. The last phase of that bull market. known as a "Kondratieff Winter". will see flat/down production through 2009. risking uncontrollable inflation and a "Crack-up Boom". which is little understood by outsiders. A key price driver is the huge speculative flows back and forth in these gold inventories. This revived the real estate market and. Understanding the Kondratieff Cycle (K-Cycle) is critical to the outlook for the gold price. investors in unallocated gold are Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. which ended in 1980. In legal terms. into real assets. That is unlikely to change for the next few years. the price will rise very quickly. when the gold price reached US$850/oz. Perversely.500 tonnes pa for nearly a decade. we were in the highly unusual position of every asset class being in a bull market. The gold trading and banking business operates on a fractional reserve basis. We expect the Fed to use inflationary means to sustain this credit bubble. the question is. subsequently. Most of today's financial market participants do not remember the last bull market in gold. Newmont and AngloGold Ashanti. like cash and bonds. The central banks of China. the stock market so that by early 2007. is the natural tendency in an economy when a credit bubble bursts. A deflationary recession. Gold held in the vaults of bullion banks for trading and investment purposes is mostly held in unallocated form. The majority of gold is traded "loco London" on an OTC basis where trades are settled through transfers in metal accounts with LBMA clearing members. 5 . the world's largest gold market – the World Gold Council estimated that consumer demand for gold in India increased 72% in H106 to 36% of the worldwide total. This is a long-wave economic cycle driven by prices and debt. The three largest producers. at what price is that supply mobilised? Gold held back from the market is effectively demand. had it not been for the dramatic loosening in monetary policy by the Fed. There is a long way to go in this gold bull market.000/oz. suggests that the perils of unlimited debt/credit creation and the extreme debasement of currencies taking place today remains poorly understood. which can lend. We believe that the US will take extreme measures in an effort to avoid sliding into a K-Winter now – the deflationary recession could be unparalleled and threaten US geopolitical strategy. Private demand is very strong in India. Russia and India are very underweight gold as a percentage of their rapidly growing foreign exchange reserves: China's reserves are growing at an annualised rate of US$0.
Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Executive summary even more dependent on the stability of the financial system than customers with checking/current accounts.6 11. Fig 4: Top 20 gold stocks – market cap vs Google Company Barrick Gold Goldcorp Newmont Mining Newcrest AngloGold Ashanti Gold Fields Kinross Gold Yamana Gold Polyus Buenaventura Agnico Eagle Lihir Gold Harmony Meridian IAM Gold Peter Hambro Mining Centerra RandGold Resources Novagold Resources Eldorado Gold Total – Top 20 Gold Mining Companies Google Source: Reuters Market Cap (US$m) 40. Peter Hambro Mining: PHM has the lowest costs and the strongest growth prospects of the senior UK-quoted gold mining stocks.1bn. but "covert" means of influencing gold prices have been used.1 12.1 6 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.1 205. outright sales by European central banks remain one weapon. The company is on track to achieve more than 280k oz of attributable production in 2007 and should grow to nearly 1.0 25. they amount to US$205.40.500 tonnes of gold have been lent or swapped out of central bank vaults to provide liquidity in the gold derivatives markets (equivalent to about 25% of central bank reserves). Based on our well-above consensus forecasts for the gold price. Banking crises are a feature of Kondratieff Winters. where physical gold is set aside in their name. bank.000-15.6 7. gold trader and private individual demanded physical delivery of the gold bullion they hold a claim to. The following table shows the market caps of the 20 largest gold stocks. In aggregate.000 tonnes.9 8. We estimate that 7. If there was ever a time for investors to ensure ownership of allocated gold.1 217.2 2.000-7.6 13.5 14. it is now.7 2.00 compared with the current share price of £16. If every central bank. These include gold lending/swaps and options.7 4. In the current war on gold.8 9.6 4.6 23.0 8.6 2. . somewhat less than the market capitalisation of Google. the shortfall could be 10.0m oz by 2010.6 2.1 2.8 2.4 7. our long-term DCF-based target price for PHM shares is £34.
.................................................. 57 Washington agreement sales waning .............. 11 The ultimate form of money ................. 56 Flat gold mine output ....................................................................................................... 25 CPI understatement........................................................... 32 Introduction ................................................... 28 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation?...... 32 Representation of the K-Cycle ...................................................................................................................... 76 The current gold war.............................. 68 Intervention in the gold market ................................................................... 52 Private gold buying in Asia and the Middle East........................ 95 Appendix 6 – how monetary inflation and world supremacy are inexorably linked ......................................................................................................................................... 97 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. 11 Summary and valuation..................................... 83 Appendices .. 76 Counter-intuitive moves in the gold price..................................................................................................... 62 Unallocated versus allocated gold ..................................... 45 Gold Supply and Demand............................................................................................................................................ 33 The K-Cycle in more detail ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Drivers of the gold price .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Gold is sending a warning .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37 How will the US try to stave off a K-Winter? ............................ 20 The real story in the US . 74 Statistical evidence .. 20 Conflict between governments and gold ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 66 IMF – accounting regulations for gold reserves................................................................................. 4 Executive summary............................................................................................................................................................................. 91 Appendix 3 – Kondratieff Cycle summarised ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 8 Peter Hambro Mining – mining money .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 7 ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 62 The LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) – a "professional's" market ............. 37 A "distorted K-Autumn"................................................................................................................. 35 Distorting the current K-Cycle .................................................................................. 15 Commodity – barometer – currency ......... 94 Appendix 4 – Criticism of Kondratieff.................................................................. 5 Gold price forecast ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 90 Appendix 1 – Peter Hambro Mining: financial summary ........................................................................ 50 Inevitability of increased central bank buying ................... 95 Appendix 5 – IMF: proposed new regulations for gold reserves ................................ 90 Appendix 2 – gold and a sound monetary system .............................................................................................. 50 You can't model it!.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Table of contents Executive summary Performance and summary data ..................................... 42 Why the US must avoid a "K-Winter" ................. 62 Introduction ...................................................... 27 US Federal Debt outlook ..................................................................... 25 Discontinuation of M3 reporting ....................... 58 Transparency and Intervention in the Gold Market..............................................
In addition. Fig 5: Gold/Oil ratio 7/11/07 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 82 84 86 88 GOLDBLN/OILBREN 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Source: Datastream Dow Jones/Gold ratio: this ratio is one way of comparing the performance of financial assets – equities in this case – with the ultimate store of value. former editor of The Times In updating our mid-cycle forecast for the gold price we have considered the following: Gold/Oil ratio: the long-term average for the Gold/Oil (Brent crude) ratio has been slightly over 16x and is currently trading at 9.2x.480/oz." William Rees-Mogg. but more rational than paper money.0x. Equities outperformed gold dramatically for 20 years: the Dow Jones/Gold multiple rose from a low of 1. The Dow Jones/Gold ratio is already down by more than half to a current level of 16.78x on 25 August 1999 – a rise of some 43-fold. the debate over how long the world can continue to increase oil production applies equally to the gold mining industry as production has flat-lined for almost a decade. . 8 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. A reversion to the mean in the Gold/Oil ratio would imply a gold price of US$1. Empirical evidence (see the reference to RW Jastram's "The Golden Constant" below) shows that gold maintains its purchasing power versus other commodities over time and crude oil is the world's pre-eminent commodity. The chart below may surprise some investors as it shows how the bear market in the Dow Jones versus the gold price is already well established. Money holds value so long as it is in limited supply.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold forecast Gold price price forecast "Gold is not less.04x on 18 January 1980 to a blow-off peak of 44. gold will always be in limited supply. gold.
100/oz – and the reported CPI we maintain understates the true rate of US inflation.LAST Source: 21/1/80 825.00 18/1/80. took less than three months. the Dow Jones/Gold ratio has averaged 13x. For example. The gold price trades in a pattern that is far from linear.00 DATASTREAM Source: Datastream An equivalent 128% rise today would give a gold price of almost US$1. while the intra-day all-time high in the gold price of US$850/oz is well known. Applying this ratio to the Dow's current level of 13. Fig 7: Gold price more than doubles: August 1979-January 1980 (US$/oz) 29/10/07 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 AUG SEP OCT Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce NOV DEC JAN HIGH 835.750/oz. Adjusting the all-time high in the gold price for the subsequent change in the US CPI gives a gold price of over US$2.13 6/8/79.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold price forecast Fig 6: Dow Jones/Gold ratio 7/11/07 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 71 73 75 77 79 81 DJINDUS/GOLDBLN 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 01 03 05 07 Source: DATASTREAM Source: Datastream Since the collapse of the Bretton Woods (quasi-gold standard) system in 1971.LOW 282. especially as economic/financial crises and/or the debasement of currencies become apparent.888 would imply a gold price of approximately US$1. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.050/oz. what is less appreciated is that the final move in the price from US$372/oz up to US$850/oz. 9 . an increase of 128%.
who was credited with the observation.. such as bread and potatoes. Given the extreme nature of currency debasement in this credit cycle we believe that the long-term price of gold can be sustained at a level above the historic averages of the Gold/Oil and Dow Jones/Gold ratios. it is even possible that historic ratios of gold versus other asset prices could be stretched in favour of gold. contradicting the usual negative price elasticity for other goods. in poor communities. At some point. What the catalyst will be we do not know. Classic examples of Giffen goods are normally staple foodstuffs. gold's investment profile will rise.500/oz. and consume even more of the staples to sustain their diet.050 2010E 1.E 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 Source: DATASTREAM Source: Datastream Despite the trebling in the gold price since its 1999 low of US$252/oz. As the US economy heads towards a crisis of either uncontrollable inflation or deflation. never mind the general public. e.000/oz in a full-blown Crack-up Boom or deflationary depression. We assume that gold reaches this level by 2012. or when it breaches US$1. .000/oz. showing how poorly understood the dangers of excess fiat money creation are. we think that the rise in the price of gold will lead to an acceleration in demand from central banks in emerging economies (especially those with large US dollar reserves).350 2012E 1.g.200 2011E 1.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold price forecast Fig 8: Gold price in "real terms" adjusted for US CPI 5/11/07 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 70 72 74 76 78 80 GOLDBLN/USCP. but our advice is to keep hoarding.500/oz. investment funds and latterly private citizens.500 10 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. Indeed. This could be when gold breaches its all-time high of US$850/oz. We are therefore assuming a long-term gold price of US$1. there is a possibility of a spike to US$4.000-5. meat. We envisage a period when gold exhibits the characteristics of a 'Giffen good'. The term refers to Sir Robert Giffen. When their price rises. or in response to an economic event. Many brokers/fund managers had not perceived the credit bubble until the high-profile problems with Bear Stearns' funds.. the drain on incomes is so great that the community is forced to reduce consumption of expensive foodstuffs. While our forecast for the long-term average gold price is US$1. our sense is that the majority of investors.. Fig 9: Redburn: Gold price forecasts 2006-12E US$/oz Gold price Source: Redburn Partners 2006 604 2007E 700 2008E 900 2009E 1. for example one which highlights the risks of unlimited credit/debt expansion. are still not taking gold seriously.
by 2010. This assumes a long-term gold price of US$1. Its second major mine. Pioneer. should come on-stream at the beginning of 2009.69) and longterm production growth of 1. The recent US$180m capital raising and strong cash generation should enable PHM to develop aggressively its existing resource base and further expand it in due course. Total cash costs at PHM's main Pokrovskiy mine declined by an impressive 6% in H1 2007 vs the previous year to US$167. are commissioned by the end of our forecast period of 2016. or possibly two. putting the company in the top quartile for gold producers. or possibly two. 11 .0m oz by 2009. additional mines should be brought into production by the early part of the next decade. While the main deposit at the company's biggest asset. at Malomir.0m oz. The company is on track to achieve more than 280k oz of attributable production in 2007 and should grow to nearly 1. Pokrovskiy.000 800 600 400 200 0 2006 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E 2013E 2014E 2015E 2016E Source: Peter Hambro Mining. A third. This was particularly impressive given the inflationary Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.0m oz by 2010 and broadly maintain this production level going forward. our long-term DCF-based target price for PHM shares is £34. Production outlook and costs PHM produced 261k oz of gold last year and we estimate the company is on track to increase this by 8-9% in 2007 to more than 280k oz. we think this is too demanding and management has been correct in de-emphasising it.0% pa beyond 2016. Based on our well-above consensus forecasts for the gold price.8/oz). While the company is not ruling out its previous aim of achieving 1. This conservatively assumes that only one of the two possible additional mines. with one. was commissioned on time and on budget in September this year.200 1.3% (beta 0.40.8/oz (US$178. One. The ramp up in production begins next year following the recent commissioning of the Pioneer mine. Redburn Partners estimates We believe that the company can achieve production of close to 1. will be exhausted by around 2014. more in the early part of the next decade.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Peter Hambro Mining – mining money Summary and valuation Peter Hambro Mining has the lowest costs and the strongest growth prospects of the senior UK-quoted gold mining companies.500/oz. at Yamal and Amur North-East.00 compared with the current share price of £16. a WACC of 7. Western standard (JORC – Joint Ore Reserves Committee) reserves and resources data will be published later this month which should reassure investors about the company's longer term production prospects. Our current estimates for PHM's production profile are shown in the chart below: Fig 10: Peter Hambro Mining – estimated gold production 2006-16E (000s oz) 1. This should be followed by a further major project at Malomir in 2009. this will be offset by the development of the gold deposits from Pokrovskiy's "Flanks".
. This should reassure non-Russian investors with respect to PHM's longer-term production prospects. A restatement under western regulations has been sought after by investors/analysts in order to provide a comparison with the reserves and resources reported under the Russian GKZ (State Commission on Mineral Reserves) system. we think it is sensible to factor in 10% pa growth in production costs per ounce going forward. the categories of reserves and resources in descending order are A. In comparison with coal and iron ore. C2 is more difficult because it may correspond with probable reserves. P1.0m oz of gold reserves and a similar amount of resources. although it could drop to a lower category of indicated or inferred resources. the improvement followed the implementation of a detailed programme to reduce expenditure at each stage of the mining operation. In comparison with JORC. the greater complexity of gold deposits means that. The table below compares PHM's cash costs with some of its peers: Fig 11: Cash costs – PHM versus peers H107 vs H106 (US$/oz) 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 PHM Newcrest Lihir Anglo Gold H106 Source: Redburn Partners Kinross RandGold Centerra H107 Looking ahead. 12 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. C1 would normally correspond with proved and/or probable reserves. Reserves and resources position The company expects to publish JORC (Joint Ore Reserves Committee) compliant reserves and resources data later this month. even with extensive drilling. The table below shows the latest reported reserves and resources data for PHM on 1 February 2007: Under JORC reporting. We expect that JORC data will be provided for three deposits: the recently commissioned Pioneer mine and the development projects. although the outcome is likely to be somewhat lower. Malomir and Yamal. C1. B. C2. the decision to mine gold can be taken at the C1 or C2 category. This is the widely accepted standard for reporting reserves/resources for western mining companies. P2 and P3. As we drop down to P1. and may be unclassified.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Peter Hambro Mining – mining money pressures faced by the mining industry worldwide. these would qualify as the lowest category of Inferred Resources at best. Under the GKZ system. PHM's production costs are likely to increase along with those for other gold mining companies. In PHM's case. as well as benefits from higher grades and better recovery rates. the best case scenario would be that PHM reports almost 9. With inflation in Russia currently running at approximately 8% pa. it is generally difficult (nor would it be worth it) to prove up gold reserves beyond the C1 categorisation. Indeed.
This allows PHM to press ahead with mining of the Malomir and Quartzite deposits while further exploration work is carried out on Ozhidaemoye. since the plan at the time was to process ore from Pioneer at the Pokrovskiy plant. Costs are likely to be even lower than the existing Pokrovskiy mine. on account of the lower strip ratio.771 35. Ozhidaemoye. at least until around 2014. with fewer areas of high-grade ore. However. it makes more sense to commission mining at the Flanks when the existing Pokrovskiy mine is exhausted in 2014-15. which should offset the lack of high-grade ore.0g/t of gold. The production plan here is also being reviewed. The issues that led to the delay were the complexity of the ore bodies and the discovery of a further deposit.665 1.546 718 1. In addition.986 32.546 718 667 23 7.023 120.237 15.550 13. a rising gold price can make previously uneconomic 'off balance' ore reserves viable.3k oz. at least initially. in the north east of the exploration area.974 28.202 10. Further positive results in 2007 may even extend this a little further. low-cost direct cyandization will be used to recover the gold.665 1. Pokrovskiy – change of plan for Flanks deposit PHM's Pokrovskiy mine produced 206. PHM has now delineated the area into three separate deposits: Malomir.372 Total 11.942 P2+P3 8. Malomir project – ramping up in 2009 Earlier this year.914 1. This will involve an investment of approximately US$50m and will increase cash costs since high pressure oxidization in autoclaves is electricity intensive. although successful exploration work last year extended this to 2014. 79% of the company's total attributable production of 261. it no longer makes sense to build a further plant at the Flanks.416 0 0 0 411 0 1.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Peter Hambro Mining – mining money Fig 12: Peter Hambro – GKZ reserves and resources (000s oz) Deposit Pokrovskiy & Flanks Pioneer Malomir Yamal Amur NE Other Total Source: Peter Hambro Mining C1 or better 1.078 23 8. The strip ratio is the amount of earth that has to be removed for each unit of ore. Commissioning is now expected at the end of 2008.231 37. Production at the current mine was expected to last until 2013. which is little more than 1:1 versus 1:4. it is likely that the easily recoverable gold will have been exhausted and the process will be converted to treating concentrate by flotation.951 102. This deposit is geologically different to Pokrovskiy and Pioneer.8k oz of gold in 2006.091 C1+C2 1. although the new plan will not be for less. the ore bodies are more uniform. Beyond that date.335 2. Rather.294 2.888 3. This would have involved building an on-site processing plant for the ore.3g/t by 2013. 13 . Now that a separate plant is being built at Pioneer. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. The old plan had been for annual production of approximately 250k oz.507 5. with production ramping up through 2009. but we expect production to ramp up in 2008 to approximately 140k oz.540 52 8. at approximately 4. Quartzite and Ozhidaemoye.827 C2 472 3.232 Pioneer mine commissioned in September 2007 The new Pioneer mine was commissioned on time and on budget in September 2007. and to peak in 2009 in the region of 400k oz.932 12.918 P1 807 1.237 10. The original plan for the 'Pokrovskiy Flanks' was to begin mining during 2009. As with Pokrovskiy. keeping production costs similar to Pioneer. Reserves that are 'off balance' are adjacent to the ore body and can be mined with the agreement with the GKZ. The initial ore grades should be high. The production plan is currently being reviewed. PHM stated that the commissioning of a mine at Malomir would be delayed by 6-12 months from the previously guidance of early 2008. although they are likely to decline to 1.
Otherwise the bonds are redeemed at par on 19 October 2012. PHM had outlined a "maximum external funding requirement" of US$100m during Q307-Q408.000/oz was a premium of 38% to the London pm fix of a day earlier.. Two weeks later. the company met with Rospirodnadzor and the latter denied there was an intention of withdrawing any of PHM's assets due to political pressure. the PHM board decided to give themselves more financial flexibility going forward by raising US$150m." The inspections of the mining licences subsequently determined that there were no material breaches of terms and conditions and no further issues have arisen. PHM acknowledged that remarks had been attributed to the environmental watchdog in Russia. We have conservatively assumed that only one of them will be brought onstream by 2016. Russian political risk In November 2006. I am urging foreign investors to comply with regulations of environmental protection… then there won't be any problems with controlling bodies. leaving the offer substantially oversubscribed. Its press release noted: "Rosprirodnadzor's inspections are in no way related to politics. at least in terms of projected project costs. Instead. However. A summary of our financial model for PHM for 2006-12E is at Appendix 1. At Yamal. These exploration projects could potentially contain substantial gold reserves. PHM has the right to call the bonds at par plus accrued interest after four years provided that the gold price reaches US$1. confirmation of the feasibility study has been completed at the Novogodnee Monto gold/iron deposit and a feasibility study prepared at Petropavlovsk deposit. demand was so strong that the offering was increased again to US$180m. that some or all of the company's mining licences might be inspected. Given the recent difficulties in credit markets. . There was also a report on the Ministry of Natural Resource's website that there were deficiencies in technical reporting at the Yamal exploration site.500/oz. At the time of the announcement. In a previous statement. The company has previously stated that it is considering a plan to develop both mines simultaneously. While Russia may be exerting geopolitical influence through its strength in the energy sector. we are sceptical this will extend into the mining sector without a significant deterioration in relations with the west.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Peter Hambro Mining – mining money Yamal and Amur – earlier stage projects may be developed in parallel The most likely scenario in our opinion is that PHM will develop these two projects in parallel. Progress is being made after intensive exploration this year. Capital raising and cash flow The company announced a US$150m Gold Equivalent Exchangeable Bonds Offering on 5 October 2007. we would emphasise that 95% of Yamal resources and 89% of Amur North-East resources were in the very low P2 and P3 Russian categories for resources at the end of 2006. Once again. The bonds carry a 7% coupon and will be exchangeable at the holders' option into the cash equivalent of 150.. Yamal in the second half of 2011. the licence issue from last year seemed to have more to do with competition for scarce gold mining deposits from wealthy business interests. 14 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. the novel linking of the bonds to the gold price proved very attractive to investors. So what changed? It seems nothing. Rospirodnadzor.000 oz of gold at any time from the second anniversary of settlement until 20 days prior to maturity. Indeed. the conversion price of US$1.
The monetary nature of gold increasingly exerts itself when governments abuse the issue of paper currency and financial assets and during periods of financial or economic stress – as is happening currently. In a speech in February 1965. Germany in 1944 could buy materials during the war only with gold. bonds and. in which gold gets fully priced. Gold will move out of that as it has now. Commodities are an asset class in their own right. is when it attempts to balance the balance sheet of the United States. Fiat money in extremis is accepted by nobody. Precious metals have a slightly different character as an asset class. that was the commodity value of gold. i. to an international assets balance sheet form. related to the industry's cost curve. Gold is always accepted. to a currency. to a barometer. which may be formed equally well into ingots. into a form of a barometer. Gold has both a monetary (financial) nature and a commodity nature: During periods of fiscal and monetary responsibility in the world economy.e. history shows that gold has always been the ultimate form of money.." Notwithstanding the tsunami of paper financial assets rising out of central banks and investment banks.gold will be money when the dollar and the euro and the yuan and the ringitt are mere memories. prices are largely determined by industry cost curves. eternally and universally." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. 15 . mortgages). Inc Commodity – barometer – currency The mining industry. been regarded as the unalterable currency par excellence.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The ultimate form of money The ultimate form of money ".." Richard Russell." Gold's key elements in performing this role are in acting as a: Means of payment: this is perhaps best expressed by Alan Greenspan's quote in 1999: "Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world. produces internationally traded commodities. bars or coins. gold acts in a similar fashion to other commodities: for example. just like financial asset classes such as stocks. A barometer measures the level of anxiety… Gold becomes a currency. Dow Theory Letters. Jim Sinclair (of "Jim Sinclair's Mineset" website) further divides gold's characteristics into four arguing that: "…gold migrates from a commodity form. French President Charles de Gaulle remarked upon: "…gold whose nature does not alter. Clearly then. gold has been elected as the currency of choice… The maximum value category in gold. when the appreciation in gold in percentage terms is greater than the appreciation in the strongest currency trading at that time. which has no nationality and which has." He goes on to explain: "When the gold price bottomed. like the oil and agricultural industries. arguably real estate (usually financed via financial assets.
cutting it up. Fund Manager There is a long-wave economic cycle for capitalist economies. That said. "If you don't trust gold. It shows that the US dollar has lost 95% of its purchasing power since the Federal Reserve was created by Rothschild/ Rockefeller banking interests in 1913 (and that uses the low-balled 'official' CPI statistics). the Kondratieff Cycle. Hardly any of today's financial market participants remember the last gold bull market.H. an almost 35-fold increase. which we will describe in detail later (see page 32) in the report.67/oz to its current level of US$831/oz. which came to an end 36 years ago.000. The chart below compares the gold price from 1980 to the end of 1999 with the Dow Jones Industrial Average – it is no wonder gold fell so far out of favour. During this period the price of gold has risen from US$20. bonds. without the combined efforts of central banks. are still not taking gold seriously as an investment for the following reasons: The bull markets in stocks.SCALE) 0 6 12 8 2 Source: Datastream Despite more than trebling in price from the US$252/oz low. The gold price underwent a prolonged decline from 1980 to late-1999. which ended nearly 28 years ago.000-5. or the last vestiges of a gold standard. 16 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. turning it into pulp then paper. Fig 13: Gold price and Dow Jones 1980-99 700 650 10 600 550 500 450 400 4 350 300 250 200 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS . bullion banks and panic hedging by gold miners. our sense is that the majority of professional investors. never mind the general public. putting some ink on it and then calling it one billion dollars?" Kenneth J Gerbino.PRICE INDEX(R. worth about US$4. real estate (and even art/collectibles) during the last two decades. Gold was money and paper currencies were convertible into gold and simply provided a more convenient way of making transactions. it would never have reached such low levels. It is also worth reminding ourselves that paper currencies were originally created as mere 'derivatives' of gold. . do you trust the logic of taking a beautiful pine tree. The Federal Reserve of Minneapolis's inflation calculator on its website provides a good illustration of gold's ability to maintain its purchasing power over the long term. but its underperformance versus other asset classes should have been predicted during the disinflationary phase of the Kondratieff Cycle.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The ultimate form of money Store of value: this is best expressed by gold's ability to maintain the value of its purchasing power over long periods of time.
although no longer acknowledged by most central bankers.H. its purchasing power is maintained. A perfect example of gold's ability to match periods of strong inflation was in the 1970s versus the US CPI." Would that be the 'risky' asset that is no one else's liability – the one that has maintained its purchasing power for 4. never mind the public. Indeed. is excessive creation of money and credit. Jastram analysed the gold price in periods of inflation and deflation (defined in terms of commodity prices) in Britain from 1560-1976 and the US from 1800-1976. there have not been any experiences of deflation in the major industrialised economies. over longer periods of time. with the exception of Japan. adjusting the way the CPI is measured and diverting attention away from credit expansion. but Jastram's work showed that in a free market. consider this Reuters headline from 27 June 2007 referring to the fall in the gold price the previous day: "Gold hits three-month low as investors flee risk.SCALE) 1978 1979 40 35 65 60 29/10/07 80 75 55 50 Source: Datastream It is also clear from the chart how the biggest move in the price came in a relatively short space of time as investors and the general public belatedly sought to preserve capital in the face of accelerating inflation. even within the financial community. gold prices rise very rapidly in periods of deflation. This illustrated how poorly understood the dangers of excess fiat money creation are. Fig 14: Gold price matches CPI during the inflationary 1970s 550 500 450 70 400 350 300 250 200 150 45 100 50 0 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce US CPI .Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The ultimate form of money Monetary authorities have done their best to demonetize gold by selling off their reserves.ALL URBAN: ALL ITEMS SADJ(R. many financial market participants had not perceived that there was a credit bubble prior to the high-profile problems with Bear Stearns' sub-prime hedge funds earlier this year. published in 1977. While gold is widely understood to be an inflation hedge. This was the conclusion of RW Jastram in his study. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. it can actually lose purchasing power in the early stages of inflation. but ultimately will feed into both. It may surprise some investors.000 years when history shows that the value of all un-backed fiat currencies tends to their intrinsic value of zero? Drivers of the gold price The root cause of inflation. This is difficult to show with a contemporary example since. That inflation can initially manifest itself in either asset markets or goods. As an illustration. However. 17 . 'The Golden Constant'.
performed during the (deflationary) depression of the early 1930s. By 1934. Wayne Angell. The chart below shows how the benchmark US gold stock. in a July 1993 FOMC meeting: "The price of gold is pretty well determined by us… But the major impact on the price of gold is the opportunity cost of holding the US dollar. especially bonds..67/oz. gold stocks surged. the gold price was fixed to the US dollar at US$20. While the gold price surged.thelongwaveanalyst. 18 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. but it is a 'free market phenomenon'. The attraction of holding US dollars diminishes as the real yield on US financial assets declines. however." This is correct. prior to the first major round of adjustments to the CPI calculation described later in the report. This was summarised by former Federal Reserve Governor. however. Homestake Mining. Gold shares initially suffered in the "Crash of 1929". Hence it can only be shown accurately in chart form when the price of gold is not subject to manipulation and the US CPI is not under-reported. The following chart shows there was a broad correlation during 1973-83. From 1931 onwards. all we have to do is to cause the opportunity cost in terms of interest rates and US Treasury bills to make it unprofitable to own gold.. This chart shows the gold price (inverted) versus the tenyear Treasury yield minus the CPI. although they outperformed the market as a whole. the Dow Jones lost 86% of its value from peak to trough and real estate lost up to 80% in areas like Florida. Fig 15: Homestake mining share price and the Dow Jones 1921-40 Source: Ian Gordon at www. President Roosevelt was forced to devalue the US dollar vs gold by 69%. . which had been the location of an earlier boom. We can hold the price of gold very easily.com The other way of looking at what drives the gold price is to consider the opportunity cost of holding US dollar-denominated assets.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The ultimate form of money At the onset of the deflationary depression in the US from 1929-34.
until 1914. then Fed Chairman. the real yield on the benchmark US bond is firmly in negative territory at this point and is very positive for gold.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The ultimate form of money Fig 16: Gold price tracks US real yields 0 29/10/07 10 -100 8 6 -200 4 -300 2 -400 0 -500 -2 -600 -4 -700 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 0-GOLDBLN FRTCM10-USEBMCPI%(R.39% and a realistic level of the CPI somewhere between 6% and 10%.SCALE) 1981 1982 1983 -6 Note that the gold price on the left-hand axis is inverted and shown with negative values Source: Datastream The peak in the gold price in 1980 can clearly be seen to coincide with negative real yields on ten-year US Treasuries bottoming out at about -5%.H. real yields almost reached doubledigits by 1983 and. the gold price fell sharply. The recovery in real yields was triggered by the efforts of Paul Volcker. to squeeze inflation out of the US economy by raising the Fed Funds' rate ultimately to 16%. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. With the US ten-year Treasury yield currently trading at 4. not surprisingly. under the operation of a gold standard. 19 . While this pushed the US economy into a severe recession. we explain in more detail why gold is the ultimate form of money and how gold-backed currencies led to almost a century of price stability. In Appendix 1.
200 tonnes of gold during 1976-80. The collapse of the London Gold Pool and the Bretton Woods system in the late 1960s/early 1970s.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold is a warning Gold is sendingsending a warning Conflict between governments and gold Its role as the ultimate form of money puts gold into a situation of permanent competition with unbacked (by precious metals) fiat currencies created by governments and. It cannot be refuted that at times of maximum economic or financial crisis for the US economy during the last century. It is but one item in the gigantic process of destruction which is the mark of our time. or when the dollar's status as the reserve currency has come under severe stress. It was a raid of unprecedented proportions and duration. In the Second Amendment of the Articles of Agreement of the IMF. The underlying purpose of this raid was to convince the citizens of the major nations that paper currencies are better than gold." The lesson of history is that paper currencies that are not backed by precious metals ultimately tend towards their intrinsic value. began a 'bear raid' on the gold markets of the world. zero.e. the economist. In April 1978. i. aided by the principal members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). nevertheless the gold price reached its all-time high of US$850/oz in January 1980. with the governments themselves. . The Federal Reserve and eight European central banks pooled their gold resources in an unsuccessful attempt to suppress the price of gold and preserve the dollar's value at US$35/oz versus gold. 20 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. consequently. The US Treasury and the IMF sold approximately 1. like Ludwig von Mises: "The struggle against gold. which is one of the main concerns of all contemporary governments. Success of the operation would ensure that inflating by excessive issues of paper currencies could continue indefinitely. although not those from the 'Austrian School' of economics. Ernest P Welker stated: "Beginning in 1975." We describe the above cases in more detail at Appendix 2. the United States. must not be looked upon as an isolated phenomenon. The runaway inflation of the late-1970s. gold was removed as a means of inter-nation settlement. This conflict is still unappreciated by many. the IMF took further action to demonetize gold. The three most obvious examples are: The Great Depression of the early 1930s: President Roosevelt confiscated gold from US citizens who were hoarding it ahead of an anticipated devaluation of the US dollar (US citizens could not legally own gold again until the beginning of 1975). the US Government (aided by other governments in some cases) has tried to manipulate the gold price. In a 1981 American Institute for Economic Research essay.
was a strong advocate of 'sound money' and a return to a gold standard. In 2002." The change in Greenspan's approach to monetary policy appeared to take place in the mid1990s when he allowed a rapid acceleration of the US money supply. he specifically outlined the dangers of excessive monetary inflation: "Monetary policy unleashed from the constraint of domestic gold convertibility had allowed a persistent over issuance of money. at this particular stage. appeared to confirm that a fiat currency was inherently subject to excess. Greenspan argued against a system of unbacked fiat currency in favour of returning to a gold standard and makes three very interesting comments: "As the supply of money (of claims) increases relative to the supply of tangible assets in the economy. the Unknown Ideal'. Gold stands in the way of this insidious process. in going back to the gold standard? And the answer is: I don't think so. he told Congress: "Would there be any advantage. has learned the dangers of fiat money. former Federal Reserve Chairman. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. because we are acting as though we were there… So I think central banking.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold is sending a warning In his early career. I believe. which was published in Ayn Rand's 1967 book. beginning in 1995. real reserves underneath the system. we hear from a very different Alan Greenspan." Later in his career. prices must eventually rise… In the absence of a gold standard. however." And: "Deficit spending is simply a scheme for the confiscation of wealth. indeed. As recently as a decade ago. there is no way to protect savings from confiscation through inflation…. 'Capitalism. He outlined his case in an essay." In a subsequent speech to the Economic Club of New York. It stands as the protector of property rights. and I think. In the essay. central bankers. Alan Greenspan. as a consequence of that. we've behaved as though there are. 'Gold and Economic Freedom'. having witnessed more than a half-century of chronic inflation. 21 ." He then argues that a gold standard and a banking system based on gold reserves acts as: "…the protector of an economy's stability and balanced growth.
These actions were partly motivated by evidence suggesting that some lenders had adopted a more cautious approach to extending credit. 1994-99": "In January 1994. the required reserve ratio on non-personal time deposits was pared from 3 percent to 0 percent. however.SCALE) Source: Datastream In truth. the economic burden of statutory reserve requirements is zero. the money market deposit account (MMDA). "Retail Sweep Programs and Bank Reserves. the Federal Reserve Board permitted a commercial bank to begin using a new type of computer software that dynamically reclassifies balances in its customer accounts from transaction deposits to a type of personalsaving deposit. . That is. The use of depositsweeping software spread slowly between January 1994 and April 1995. with adequately intelligent software. but rapidly thereafter. many banks seem easily to be able to reduce their transaction deposits by a large enough amount that the level of their required reserves is less than the amount of reserves that they require for day-to-day operation of the bank." It didn't stop there. the foundations were put in place during 1990-92 when the Federal Reserve lowered reserve requirements for US banks in an effort to extract the economy from recession. and in April 1992 the 12 percent ratio on transaction deposits was trimmed to 10 percent.H.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold is sending a warning Fig 17: US money supply growth accelerates in mid-1990s 7000 29/10/07 12 6500 10 6000 8 5500 6 5000 4 4500 2 4000 0 3500 3000 -2 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 US MONEY SUPPLY M3(DISC. which was increasing the cost and restricting the availability of credit… the cuts in required reserve ratios put depository institutions in a better position to extend credit.ANNUAL % CHANGE CURA(R." 22 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. According to the Federal Reserve: "In December 1990. For these banks at least. As Richard Anderson and Robert Rasche (both of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis) explain in their report. This reclassification reduces the bank's statutory required reserves while leaving unchanged its customers' perceived holdings of transaction deposits." Anderson and Rasche concluded: "Our analysis suggests that the willingness of bank regulators to permit use of deposit-sweeping software has made statutory reserve requirements a "voluntary constraint" for most banks.) CURA US MONEY SUPPLY M3 .
This is exactly the message being sent by the gold price now. making it: More attractive as the world's reserve currency.jsminesite. a low gold price serves several important purposes: It gives the impression that inflation risk is more benign. From the perspective of governments. therefore. Gold's role is increasingly acting as the currency of choice as predicted by Jim Sinclair (of "Jim Sinclair's Minesite" www. 23 . stock and real estate prices. which leads to: A stronger US$. together with financial innovation in areas like derivatives and off-balance sheet vehicles like SIVs.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold is sending a warning These changes. set the scene for the dramatic increase in asset prices and extreme debt/credit creation seen ever since. and especially the US Government. Fig 18: Gold price sends a signal 29/10/07 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 1998 1999 2000 2001 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Source: Datastream It is also important to emphasise that the rise in the gold price is not just in US dollars. such as the Australian dollar. which means: Higher US bond. since the US dollar is the world's reserve currency and gold is priced in dollars. a significant rise in the gold price implies that other stores of value are being avoided. a challenge to the US dollar.com). Gold is rising in all currencies. It acts as a warning that the purchasing power of fiat currencies is being debased by governments and central banks and that the risks of economic crisis are increasing. such as the Swiss Franc. and renowned safe havens. US monetary policy and the condition of the US economy. even strong commodity currencies. A rising gold price is. and: Easier to finance huge US deficits. leading to: Lower US interest rates. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. In a free market.
.EXCHANGE RATE DATASTREAM Source: Source: Datastream 24 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.EXCHANGE RATE US $ TO SWISS FRANC (GTIS) .Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold is sending a warning Fig 19: Gold price outperforming Australian Dollar and Swiss Franc 29/10/07 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce US $ TO AUSTRALIAN $ (GTIS) .
The following chart by John Williams compares his calculation of the US CPI based on the 1980 methodology with the BLS's current methodology. such as the CPI and non-farm payrolls. the price change associated with a more technologically advanced range of washing machines may be reduced to reflect the benefit to consumers of cleaner clothes. In brief. the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) takes a basket of goods and services and tracks their prices throughout the years. 25 . the higher cost of servicing the national debt. Gold & Silver. all contribute to a lack of understanding of the real economic situation in the US. Substitution: when the price of a higher quality good rises significantly. "declining prices sure do". and they no longer track the same items year to year.g. For example. resulting in a lower impact from components rising in price and a higher impact from components falling in price. Intervention: used to moderate swings in the prices of goods subject to seasonal swings. as John Williams notes. John Williams estimates that the changes to the calculation of the CPI have contributed to a systematic understatement of the true inflation rate by around 3% vs the BLS methodology prior to the early 1990s and around 7% vs the methodology before the adjustments in the early 1980s. the response it usually to highlight one or two examples of important goods or services that are going up in price far more than the CPI.com) has been calculating the US CPI employing the same methodology used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics prior to the adjustments made in the early 1980s and 1990s. there would be other knock-on effects that would follow from a higher CPI. gasoline.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The story in story in the US The real real the US Key economic indicators. education or health insurance. CPI understatement "In calculating inflation. such as broad money supply (M3). the major changes made by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that reduce reported CPI figures are: Hedonic regression: actual prices of consumer goods are revised downwards for quality-adjusted improvements. Geometric weightings: the arithmetic weighting of CPI components was changed to geometric. While price rises are rarely fully reflected. We examine the understatement of the CPI. e. have become less useful in assessing the state of the US economy. Economist John Williams (www. Other statistics are no longer provided. The problem is they no longer use the actual price. including the need for higher interest rates.shadowstats. the BLS assumes that consumers switch to lower-priced alternatives (the steak to hamburgers idea). Inc I have asked US citizens whether they believe that the official CPI figure is correct and the answer is almost always no. And a lack of in-depth media and financial marketfocus on the financial outlook for the Federal Government." Mike Maloney. food. All of these factors are very positive for the gold price. the higher cost of welfare programmes linked to the CPI and the negative impact on stock. This worked just fine when they would track the actual price of the same items year after year. bond and real estate markets. The majority of people can't seem to "put their finger on it". growth in broad money supply and the US$50-70trn fiscal gap faced by the Federal Government. Besides being a positive catalyst for the gold price. When you ask why. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
If food and energy prices always underwent a mean reversion. The latter represent approximately 25% of US consumer expenditure and are obviously the most basic of human requirements. . However.) CURA US CPI . The Federal Reserve focuses on the concept of "core" inflation. The increased divergence in the 1980s. briefly tapering off with the recession in the early 1990s.e. excluding food and energy. If the inflation rate is higher than currently assumed.e.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US Fig 20: Under-reporting US inflation – Shadowstats estimate vs 'official' CPI-U Source: John Williams' Shadow Government Statistics at www. followed by an even greater divergence in the 1990s. backs John Williams' analysis.shadowstats. this concept might have some validity. the fact that a strong case can be made that food and oil prices are experiencing in structural bull markets nullifies the core inflation measure. i. 26 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. then it may be that the US is already in recession. M3) from 1970 to March 2006 (when the Fed ceased reporting it) versus the 'official' CPI reported by the BLS. Fig 21: Growing divergence of money supply (M3) growth from CPI 5/11/07 1100 1000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 70 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 US MONEY SUPPLY M3(DISC.com The following chart shows the divergence of the trend in US broad money supply growth (i.ALL URBAN: ALL ITEMS SADJ 88 90 92 94 96 98 Source: Datastream A lower CPI figure has the effect of exaggerating the reported level of economic growth.
5m pa. 27 . Perhaps we should all be sure our wheelbarrows are in good working order. Two sources continue to calculate US M3: www.shadowstats." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.com. It was argued that: It would cut costs for the Federal Reserve by US$0. The Federal Reserve calculates M2 growth at 6.7% for the year to September 2007. The chart below indicates that it is now running at about 14%. The only measure of M3 that is not publicly available is for the Eurodollar balances (typically about 3% of M3). M3.99999 correlation.com. The difference between M3 and M2 is that the former also includes large time deposits. enables the banks to lend more money and expands the money supply. A repo involves the Fed purchasing securities. When the Fed ceased to publish M3. usually Treasury bonds but sometimes other bonds such as MBS. Chuck Augustin remarked: "…it looks like the boys are getting ready to unleash Weimar Republic II on the world. institutional money market accounts. M3 did not contain any more relevant information than the narrower measure of M2. from the banks. Nowandfutures. the year-on-year growth rate was approximately 8%. John Williams is currently estimating M3 growth at slightly over 14%. Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee member. This adds liquidity to the banking system. Below we show the trend in M3 estimated by nowandfutures.com and the aforementioned John Williams at www.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US Discontinuation of M3 reporting On 26 March 2006. as this is the method the Fed uses to liquefy the banking system. Eurodollars and repurchase agreements ('repos'). Repos are very important in terms of gauging US monetary policy and the expansion of the money supply.com has back-tested its model with the historic M3 data and estimates a . Fig 22: US M3 and rate of growth (reconstructed since March 2006) Source: Redburn Partners After the Fed's announcement that M3 would be discontinued.nowandfutures. its highest level in nearly 30 years. which have to be estimated – this accounts for the slight differences between the two estimates. the Federal Reserve ceased to publish its broadest measure of money supply.
Within his statement." He added: "As a result of these limitations. The GAO is unable to approve/sign-off the US Government's accounts as being a true and fair view in accordance with correct accounting procedures. David Walker. Walker expressed an "Adverse Opinion on Internal Control".pdf. We question whether it is wise to invest in the bonds of an entity. principally relating from certain material weaknesses. we are unable to. The GAO is required to audit financial statements for the US Government in conformity with US GAAP and submit them annually to the President and Congress." Laurence J Kotlikoof.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US US Federal debt outlook "…the American people… they are absolutely starved of two things: the truth and leadership". costs and other related information. 28 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. where: Its own auditor could not approve the Federal Government's 2006 accounts (for the tenth year in succession) and expressed an "Adverse Opinion on Internal Control". the Federal Government. David Walker is the US Government's chief accountant (his official title is Comptroller General of the US Government Accountability Office). He explains: "A significant number of material weaknesses related to the financial systems.gao. Hamper the federal government's ability to reliably report a significant portion of its assets. and we do not. The NPV of the "fiscal gap" faced by the Federal Government's is estimated to be US$50-70trn. express an opinion on such financial statements. readers are cautioned that amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and related notes may not be reliable. In relation to the US Government's consolidated financial statements for the year ending 30 September 2006. These material weaknesses and other scope limitations also affect the reliability of certain information contained in the accompanying Management's Discussion and Analysis and other financial information – including information used to manage the government day to day and budget information reported by federal agencies…" The full report can be read at www. and other limitations on the scope of our work. This has happened for ten years in a row. liabilities. July/August 2006 Review The true financial position of the US seems to be at odds with the AAA rating given on its sovereign debt.gov/financial/fy2006/fy06gaoauditorreport. and incomplete documentation continued to: 1. . Walker noted the following: "Because of the federal government's inability to demonstrate the reliability of significant portions of the US government's accompanying consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2006 and 2005. fundamental recordkeeping and financial reporting. Head of the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) "Countries can go broke… the US is going broke. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
" Within the audit report there is an "Adverse opinion on internal control" which states: "…in our opinion the Federal Government did not maintain effective internal control as of September 30. then that will be a tsunami of spending that could swamp our ship of state if we don't get serious. processed. 60 Minutes." "…the American people… they are absolutely starved of two things: the truth and leadership. Fig 23: Composition of US Federal spending Department/Programme Social Security Defense Medicare and Medicaid Debt All other spending Total Source: Office of Management & Budget. 29 . efficient. They'll be eligible for Medicare just three years later." Walker has given numerous presentations highlighting the risks of long-term financial crisis for the US government." "The first baby boomer will reach 62 and be eligible for early retirement on January 1.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US 2. Walker noted: "If the Department of Defense were a business. (2) transactions are executed in accordance with laws governing the use of budget authority and with other significant laws and regulations that could have a direct and material effect on the financial statements…" The agency most criticised for its reported procedures is the Department of Defense. And when those boomers start retiring in mass." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.gov/cghome.. which accounts for 20% of all Federal spending. Some quotes from that programme include: "I'm going to show you some numbers… they're all big and they're all bad. to meet the following objectives: (1) transactions are properly recorded. and 3. and effective manner.htm. 2006. 2008.gao. Walker continues to tour the US on his "Fiscal Wakeup Tour" with a presentation entitled – "Saving Our Future Requires Tough Choices Today". His presentations can be seen at www. In March this year he appeared on the prime-time CBS TV show. Affect the federal government's ability to adequately safeguard significant assets and properly record various transactions. Hinder the federal government from having reliable financial information to operate in an economical. US Treasury As % of total spending in 2006 21% 20% 19% 9% 32% 100% In a July 2005 interview with reporters. and summarised to permit the preparation of the financial statements and stewardship information in conformity with GAAP.. they'd be out of business… They have absolutely atrocious financial management." "…our real problem is healthcare costs… and medical costs keep rising at twice the rate of inflation.
Indeed. has risen from US$20. our country has only a small window to address our problems before the financial markets will do it for us.4 2006 10.5trn at the end of fiscal 2006 (and is rising at the rate of US$3-4trn pa).8 2." 30 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report." Kotlikoff explains in the report that focusing on the value of federal debt as a "precursor or cursor of bankruptcy" has zero value. He estimates that the net present value of the US Government's total fiscal exposure. pensions.5 13. and that China.3 38.7 6. i.3 13.8 6.9 35.4trn in 2000 to US$50.Future Medicare Part A benefits .Future Social Security benefits . he notes that many would "scoff at this notion" and lists some of the contrary arguments: "…the country has never defaulted on its debt. Laurence J Kotlikoff published a report. there are ways out of our fiscal morass. In the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis' July/August 2006 Review." Kotlikoff echoes David Walker's message about the need to take action soon: "Unless the United States moves quickly to fundamentally change and restrain its fiscal behaviour. that the dollar is the world's reserve currency. Rather: "…the proper way to consider a country's solvency is to examine the lifetime fiscal burdens facing current and future generations.5 20.4 8.e.4 11. . that its longterm nominal interest rates are historically low.0 3. If these burdens exceed the resources of those generations… the country's policy will be unsustainable and can constitute or lead to national bankruptcy. its bankruptcy will become a foregone conclusion. who is a professor of economics at Boston University and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.9 0. that the United States is going broke… In my view.4 1. Japan and other countries have an insatiable demand for US Treasuries.9 50. including Chinese investment and somehow getting a lid on Medicare and Medicaid spending.Future Medicare Part B benefits .4 2005 9.5 Chg vs 2000 +52% +140% +197% +147% Source: US GAO and Financial Reports of the United States Government David Walker is not the only US Government insider to draw attention to the US Government's financial position.8 12.7 46.9 0. the work of three former Treasury/ Federal Reserve/National Bureau of Economic Research insiders believe that the situation is even more severe than estimated by David Walker. 'Is the United States Bankrupt?' Kotlikoff.1 7. Fig 24: US fiscal exposure US$trn Explicit liabilities (Publicly held debt.Future Medicare Part D benefits Total 2000 6.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US Walker believes that the numbers are so huge that the US cannot grow its way out of this problem. concludes that: "…Countries can go broke.6 5. Yes. its debt. etc) Commitments & contingencies Implicit exposures .7 8. mainly Social Security and Medicare benefits. but I think immediate and fundamental reform is needed…" Despite this. that its debt-to-GDP ratio is substantially lower than that of Japan and other developed countries.
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. "Fiscal and Generational Imbalances: An Update". The point is that both are US Government/ Federal Reserve insiders. i. 2002. In May 2007." The Gokhale and Smetters 2003 study is itself an update of a Department of Treasury fiscal gap analysis by the then Treasury Secretary. who was Senior Economic Adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Kotlikoff comments in "Is the United States Bankrupt?" that current US long-term fiscal policy: "…is typified by the way it treated the Treasury's original fiscal gap study… (which) was slated to appear in the president's 2003 budget… But when Secretary O'Neill was ignominiously fired on December 6. Gokhale and Smetters were told within a few days of O'Neill's firing that the study would not appear in the president's budget. with the process eventuating in hyperinflation… the United States… appears to be running the same type of fiscal policies that engendered hyperinflations in 20 countries over the past century. To grasp the size of this problem. which was so detailed it took a year to complete." Today.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 The real story in the US To estimate the 'fiscal gap'. 31 . possibly ever. Kotlikoff extrapolated Gokhale/Smetters' 2005 calculations to reach a more up-to-date estimate of US$70trn." In their 2005 work. their estimate was that the fiscal gap of the US in 2005 was US$65. Smetters recruited Gokhale. This followed their 2003 work published by the American Enterprise Research Institute for Public Policy Research.9trn (up from US$44. and all future receipts. including servicing official debt. Kotlikoff refers to Jagadeesh Gokhale and Kent Smetter's 2005 work.2trn in 2003). the US economy and the US dollar are in a more precarious position than they have been in for nearly 80 years and. Paul O'Neill. he estimated that the adjustments required to remedy the situation could include: "…an immediate and permanent doubling of personal and corporate income taxes… an immediate and permanent two-thirds cut in Social Security and Medicare benefits… were it feasible… immediately and permanently cut all federal discretionary spending by 143 percent. they will start worrying about inflation and being paid back in watered-down dollars. Smetters was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Economic Policy at the Treasury during 2001-02. once the financial markets begin to understand the depth and extent of the country's financial insolvency. more than five times US GDP. Gokhale and Smetters measured: "…the present value difference between all future government expenditures. Washington DC. as we will show. Indeed.e." He expects that given the reluctance of politicians to raise taxes or reduce benefits: "…the most likely scenario is that the government will start printing money to pay its bills… Specifically. This concern will lead them to start dumping their holdings of US Treasuries… could lead to spiralling expectations of higher inflation. the study was immediately censored.
Analysts disagree slightly on the exact timings but the following list reflects the consensus: First cycle: Second cycle: Third cycle: Fourth cycle: 1789 to 1844 1845 to 1896 1897 to 1948 1948 to today (55 years) (51 years) (51 years) (59 years so far) Subsequent authors. Kondratieff analysed 21 economic statistics for the major economies (US. is on a knife-edge between uncontrollable inflation and a deflationary recession. Nikolai Kondratieff. i. imports and exports. interest rates. etc. have identified K-Cycles that go back to the Sung Dynasty in China during 930-1250 AD. Gold and other precious metals are the only assets that outperform in both runaway inflation and deflation. Britain. etc) including the price level. employment. In 15 of the 21 statistics he claimed to identify a longwave cycle with an average length of 54 years. The K-Cycle is a long-wave cycle in the economic activity of the capitalist system focusing in particular on the price level (inflation) and debt. Our thesis is that an understanding of the K-Cycle shows that: The dominant economic power of today. we believe that the starting point should be the Kondratieff Cycle (K-Cycle). A deflationary recession is the natural tendency for an economy that has experienced an extreme credit bubble. although versions of his cycle had been observed by earlier economists. Kondratieff began his analysis in the late eighteenth century which he believed was the beginning of the "broad development of industrial capitalism" (although a long-wave cycle was also evident during the earlier agrarian economy). who was appointed by Lenin to establish a Conjuncture Institute to analyse cycles in capitalist economies (in an attempt to establish when the system would fail). 32 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. he had identified two full cycles and part of a third cycle which subsequently ended in 1948 when a fourth cycle began. When Kondratieff completed his work in 1922. It is named after the Russian. The only way to sustain the credit bubble is through increasingly large doses of inflationary stimulus. Germany. wages. such as Modelski and Thompson. He was sentenced to solitary confinement where he became mentally ill and died in 1938. The obvious conclusion from Kondratieff's work is that the capitalist system is inherently self-regenerating and this earned him a place in a Siberian labour camp. Solzhenitzyn mentions Kondratieff in "The Gulag Archipelago". France. and loose monetary policy until the bubble can no longer be sustained. .Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? "There is a tide in the affairs of men…" William Shakespeare Introduction To understand fully the outlook for the gold price vis-à-vis other asset classes and the global macro outlook. Kondratieff published his findings in a 1922 paper. liquidity (a polite term for monetary inflation/debt).e. production. the US.
state. which began in the late-1940s. The four distinct periods. this is unlikely to be positive. The dashed line represents the aggregate level of debt in the economy. Many high profile economic theories. federal. as we shall discuss in this report. etc. is shown below: The general trend in inflation is shown by the heavy line. including wars. household. the K-Cycle can be broken down into four periods. at least until the intervention of Alan Greenspan. The only questions are whether the US experiences a period of uncontrollable inflation first (most likely in our view) and how long the authorities can delay the day of reckoning (and this ability should not be underestimated)? According to the eminent economist. are shown along the bottom of the chart. Not so the K-Cycle. The conditions are then in place for the next upswing and the cycle repeats itself. i. have broadly occurred as would have been expected. A simplified representation of the current Kondratieff Cycle since 1948. or seasons. Debt levels rise steadily during the upswing in the K-Cycle. Representation of the K-Cycle The Kondratieff long-wave cycle is essentially a price level (inflation/deflation) and debt cycle. This is extremely useful for investors. The end game of a deflationary bust seems obvious. Dr Joseph Schumpeter: "The Kondratieff Wave is the single most important tool in economic forecasting. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. inflationary phase followed by a falling (initially disinflationary). This was averted due to intervention on the part of Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. as the longer the pay-back is delayed. in which certain asset classes have historically outperformed. however. as it relates to the US economy. deflationary phase. In addition. although we came very close to it in the wake of the TMT-led stock market decline in 2000. the price level follows a rising. the K-Cycle provides a roadmap for the likely outcome of economic events as we move into the latter stages of the current K-Cycle and governments/central bankers do all they can to delay the painful 'pay-back' period which has been the feature of previous cycles. accelerate dramatically in the first half of the downswing.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? One reason why Kondratieff's hypothesis was so interesting was because he brought together the inter-relationships between the behaviour of economies and financial markets with social and political issues. As we shall show. The year in which a new season begins are shown for Spring (1948). where events during the current cycle. In K-Cycles. however. or seasons. Summer (1966) and Autumn (1980). Indeed the fact that the current cycle is already 59 years long is a testament to the flexibility of monetary policy following the abandonment of the gold standard. 33 . revolutions and innovation. the worse the likely consequences. which are all part of the rhythm of world affairs." From our perspective. such as Keynesianism and monetarism) have been shown to have their flaws as useful predictive tools. We have yet to move into the Winter period of the current K-Cycle. before being purged in the severe economic contraction which occurs during the latter part of the downswing.e.
Ian Gordon of www.thelongwaveanalyst. at a point that is to the right and slightly above the normal representation of the curve.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? We have represented the current position. "The Long Wave Analyst". has created a more detailed representation of the K-Cycle: Fig 26: Ian Gordon's representation of the Kondratieff Cycle Source: Ian Gordon at www. This is an attempt to illustrate the extreme situation in terms of credit/asset bubbles that the US now finds itself in – as explained below. the run on the Northern Rock bank in the UK. the temporary seizing up of the commercial paper markets. '2007E'. Fig 25: Redburn – representation of the Kondratieff Cycle Source: Redburn Partners While the chart above is only a representation of the K-Cycle. etc.com.thelongwaveanalyst. we believe that it illustrates that the US is attempting to defy economic gravity and resist the natural cycle that has been a feature of capitalist economies since the Industrial Revolution.com 34 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. . The current fragility of the financial system has been highlighted by the sub-prime crisis.
restraining investment and consumption. Economically prosperous years are far more common than recessionary years. The increase in costs as inflation accelerates leads to faltering growth.e. At the same time. tended to happen during the rising wave of each cycle. Unemployment falls and wages and consumer spending increase. the Korean War in the 1950s.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? The K-Cycle in more detail The upswing The rising phase of a K-Cycle begins with low consumer confidence. At the beginning of the upswing. which typically marks the shift from the early recovery Spring season into the "inflationary Summer". The need to raise interest rates to a level to squeeze inflation out of the economy brings the upswing to an end with a severe recession and a collapse in commodity prices.g. attitudes to work deteriorate (e. inflation and interest rates begin to move higher. upswings are often Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. including transitions of power between nations. This is the "Spring" season. savings have been rebuilt and capital is abundantly available at low rates of interest. Recessions tend to be short-lived and followed by strong recovery. and the gold price and a sharp correction in the stock market. However. each upswing is also characterised by a 'peak' or 'absolute' war which ultimately has a negative impact: First cycle: Second cycle: Third cycle: Fourth cycle: War of 1812 American Civil War World War I Vietnam War 1812-14 1861-65 1914-18 1966-75 The importance of wars also suggests that geo-political factors. are also linked to the K-Cycle. In addition. e. commodities and real estate. This is usually exaggerated by a major war (see below). some of the new innovations may reach maturity. investment surges. i. There are two distinct types of war.today Industrial Revolution Railway Boom Electricity/Autos/Industrial Chemistry Electronics/Plastics As the supply of savings is depleted by investment and the production of goods becomes constrained. 35 . The outperforming asset classes during this phase are gold. For example: First cycle: Second cycle: Third cycle: Fourth cycle: 1789-1844 1845-1896 1897-1948 1948. The outperforming asset classes are stocks and real estate. low interest rates and relatively benign inflation.g. especially for the production of basic capital goods. The rising phase is often driven by major innovations that were conceived during the downswing of the previous cycle but really begin to impact economic growth during the upswing. the strikes in the UK during the 1970s) and inefficiencies creep into the system. Kondratieff himself noted that the greatest social upheaval. The early part of the upswing often experiences a "positive" war which aids the recovery. In these circumstances. although this accelerates to a peak as the rising phase draws to a close. revolution and wars.
where economic growth (backed by high consumer spending) and asset markets are sustained by growth in debt. is best viewed as a 'plateau' where prices experience a disinflationary phase and where decline is gradual and almost unnoticed. moral constraints tend to loosen. This initially takes the form of a deflationary recession (or more accurately a depression). the Kondratieff Winter. These factors set the scene for a renewed upswing. During a K-Winter. debt and inflated asset prices. are purged from the economic system when it finally becomes overwhelmed. the Autumn phase of the downswing is associated with speculative bubbles in stocks. Japan during the 1950-60s in the current (fourth) cycle and the US in the second K-Cycle. i. Following the severe recession at the end of the upswing.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? associated with emerging economies integrating into the world system.e. the residue gets larger. the 'Autumn' period. In the final deflationary leg of the downswing. i. Eventually a point is reached where the excesses in the system become insatiable. "A long period of decline and retrenchment. The outperforming asset classes are gold. prosperity leads to a "numbing of the senses" and the vast majority of the populace suffers from the euphoric view that the "good times will continue" and fail to take necessary precautions.e. It should be emphasised that falling debt is just as much a characteristic as falling prices. the excesses that have built up. For the financial markets. allows debt to be purged and savings to be rebuilt." Ian Gordon has summarised the K-Cycle very succinctly as follows: Spring: Summer: rebirth of the economy economy reaches its fullness with inflationary abundance 36 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. this is very relevant to the current situation. For example. Some of the capital investments made during the upswing are reaching the end of their useful lives and need replacing. According to some commentators. bonds and real estate. Such periods have included: First cycle: Second cycle: Third cycle: Fourth cycle: "The Era of Good Feeling" (1815-23) "The Gilded Age" (1867-72) "The Roaring 20s" (1922-29) "Greenspan Era?" (1990s/2000s) As we shall see. Treasury bonds and cash. investment in productive capacity declines steadily and poor financial management that remained undetected during the boom in asset prices is often uncovered. The downswing The first part of the downswing. As Robert Beckman said in his 1988 book. While relations between management and workers improve. "Into the Upwave": "…the excesses that develop in the system are never fully purged and form a cumulative residue… Each time fiat monetary policy is introduced as a means to blunt the forces of recession. lasting in the region of 15 years. there is a strong economic recovery against this background of disinflation. .
et al.PRICE INDEX 00 02 04 06 Sources: Datastream A "distorted K-Autumn" The current financial/economic situation is showing some very mixed signals as to which part of the K-Cycle we are currently in. is generally believed to have begun after the Second World War. also suggested that we had moved into the K-Winter. such as Enron. Global Crossing.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Autumn: Winter: the 'feel good' season of financial bull markets the pay-back We present a bullet point summary of the Kondratieff Cycle in Appendix 3 and reflect on the criticism of his long-wave cycle theory in Appendix 4. 1966-80 – gold and interest rates peaked in 1980. around 1948. the subsequent recovery of the US stock market to new all-time highs (see the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the chart below) and the fact that the debt/excess has clearly not been purged from the system contradicts this. Distorting the current K-Cycle Where are we? As we highlighted earlier. Fig 27: Dow Jones – new highs following 2000-03 fall 000'S 16 29/10/07 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 DOW JONES INDUSTRIALS . The host of bankruptcies which quickly followed. However. 1980-2000? The end of the Autumn season of the current K-Cycle and the onset of the K-Winter was believed by some observers to have occurred with the US stock market collapse in 2000. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. and has taken the following form: Spring: Summer: Autumn: 1948-66 – brought to an end by the Vietnam War. at least from the perspectives of which asset classes were in bull markets and the Iraq/Afghanistan war. the current K-Cycle. 37 . prior to the eruption of the sub-prime crisis earlier this year. Indeed. there was a case for believing we were experiencing all phases of the K-Cycle simultaneously. Worldcom. the fourth since industrialisation.
commodities and art (including collectibles) – I am not aware of any asset class that has declined in value since 2002!" We are in a highly unusual situation which we describe as a "distorted K-Autumn".Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Still in Autumn? Moved into Winter? Leap-frogged into Spring? Long-jumped into Summer? Stocks. Gloom and Doom Report". the more severe the consequences when it arrives. we are truly experiencing an unusual period where the K-Cycle and therefore. 38 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. Unfortunately. it is likely that this will be the experience of the US. The main symptom of this is that. Past experience and greater intervention by central banks (especially post-Keynes) is extending the K-Cycle from its previous average of 54 years. Consequently. the K-Winter is inevitable and cannot be staved off indefinitely – there is no such thing as a "free lunch". although US real estate is now in the process of correcting. during the 18-19th centuries. of "The Boom. all asset classes were experiencing bull markets. with important ramifications for the rest of the world. booms and busts tended to be milder. In our opinion. Marc Faber. bonds. equities. Kondratieff's work showed that a long-term inflation/debt cycle is essentially a natural phenomenon associated with the self-regenerating capitalist system. Ludwig von Mises: "There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought on by credit expansion. . Nobody is Thinking!" that when analysing four investment booms since 1970. the world's economic and financial system are suffering from extreme distortions. The Fed's ability to inflate the money supply may have contributed to an increase in their magnitude." Von Mises holds that the longer the K-Winter is delayed by more and more credit/debt creation. This is well understood by the "Austrian School" of economics and perhaps best summed up by one of its foremost proponents. Real Estate in bull markets Gold and Treasuries in bull markets Stocks and Real Estate in bull markets Commodities and Gold (and a major War) Even art and collectibles have been in bull markets. until recently. the cyclical effects of monetary inflation driven by fractional reserve banking were arguably contained by the Gold Standard. The only alternative is whether the crisis should come sooner… or later as a final and total catastrophe of the currency system involved. Bonds. Commentators have noted that prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913. "…the feature most common to the previous investment booms was that a bull market in one asset class was accompanied by a bear market in another asset class. looking at the five important asset classes – real estate." But: "Currently. has pointed out in an article "When Too Many Investors Think Alike. In addition. With the current cycle for the US beginning around 1948. it is already 59 years long.
the K-Winter. the second element has been the recycling of vast US deficits by creditor nations back through US bond markets. we think that in previous K-Cycles.96 11/7/03. have been at the forefront of an effort to prolong a "distorted K-Autumn" and stave off the K-Winter. Fig 28: Greenspan – aggressive rate cutting 29/10/07 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 US FED FUNDS EFFECT RATE (7 DAY AVG) . We would argue that the sources of the distorted K-Autumn are twofold. we believe that as Chairmen of the Federal Reserve.LAST 4. This has maintained US rates at artificially low levels. Monetary policy As previously mentioned. i.85 7/7/00. The reality is that the US is exporting monetary inflation to the rest of the world. This obviously didn't happen. However. The chart below shows how aggressively Greenspan cut rates – masterminding a 550bp reduction of the Fed Funds rate down to a mere 1% between May 2000 and June 2003 (and leaving them there for 12 months) with accompanying significant injections of liquidity. One element is explicitly attributable to the Fed's (and other central banks') monetary policy.22 Source: DATASTREAM 30/12/05 Source: Datastream Recycling of US deficits Besides aggressively loose monetary policy. more recently. Alan Greenspan and. While Greenspan was Fed Chairman he managed that. If the US was a relatively closed economy and forced to finance deficits from within. together with the introduction of a rapidly-growing China into the world economy and the investment of Chinese Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. 39 . the other is the result of the globalisation of the world economy/capital markets which recycled US deficits back through the US bond markets. Ben Bernanke.e. his legacy looks like a poisoned chalice for his successor. the existing money/debt expansion would obviously be inconsistent with: Historically low yields on US Treasuries A low CPI A very low (sometimes negative) savings rate This reflected the globalisation of capital markets. the TMT-driven stock market fall in 2000 would ordinarily have brought on a deflationary recession.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? How has it been distorted? As we will show.LOW 0.MIDDLE RATE HIGH 6.
The import of low-priced goods manufactured in China and other emerging nations (although rising Chinese inflation and a weak US dollar are beginning to offset this). as explained earlier. While China recycles dollars into US Treasuries. Jacques Rueff. 40 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. We explain in Appendix 2 how the French were instrumental in the collapse of the London Gold Pool in 1968 which broke the convertibility of the US dollar into gold at US$35/oz. recycled the metaphor: "…the United States is in the fortunate position of the suit buyer with a Chinese tailor who instantaneously returns his payments in the form of loans – generally. the inflationary effects of US monetary policy are also being disguised by: The understatement inherent in the published US CPI statistics. According to William Poole. President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis in his speech. The United States – and.." We agree that the demand for US Treasuries can be deemed "artificial" in the sense that it reflects the current global liquidity wave and a symbiotic relationship (at least for now) between the US and its trading partners. immediately lends you the money back. All these factors have reinforced each other and together have created what has been variously termed as the (extreme) "credit bubble". in the US case." Besides the exporting/recycling of deficits. In his policy of selling dollars and buying gold." In the absence of long-term fiscal prudence. Rueff compared the huge deficits of the US at the time as being like buying a suit from a tailor who. as purchases of US Treasury bonds. its Chinese tailor – must therefore be concerned with the sustainability of what Rueff called an "absurdity. derivatives and the Yen-carry trade. their belief that the US government can continue to sustain low inflation without having to resort to growth-crushing interest-rate hikes as a means of ensuring continued high capital inflows.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? and OPEC trade surpluses into US Treasuries and other credit instruments. especially China and some OPEC nations. He described it as an "absurdity". "The GSEs: Where Do We Stand?": "The recycling of dollar liquidity back through the US markets has distorted the credit system and led to a huge artificial demand for US Treasuries. such as stocks. The current account deficit is partially fuelled by the budget deficit. President de Gaulle was advised by the economist. Other contributing factors have been the dramatic expansion of risk taking on the part of banks and hedge funds. and both sides benefit. which will soar in the next decade in the absence of reforms to curtail federal "entitlement" spending on medical care and retirement benefits for a longer-living population. giving rise to inflation in all these markets rather than in consumer goods. excessive leverage. the US is the customer of first resort for goods produced by its burgeoning manufacturing base. the Director of International Economics at the (globalist "think-tank") Council on Foreign Relations. Earlier this year. whenever you pay him. the United States risks undermining the faith foreigners have placed in its management of the dollar – that is. Benn Steil.. indeed. bonds and other financial instruments. the "debt supercycle" and the "global liquidity wave". . Much of the money/debt creation is being channelled into asset markets..
M3 growth was running at 8% compared with just 4.50 6.ANNUAL % CHANGE CURA US FED FUNDS EFFECT RATE (7 DAY AVG) . the chart below showing the annual growth rate in M3 (until its publication was discontinued in March 2006) and the Fed Funds rate shows that this "monetary tightening" was nothing more than an illusion. where they remained until 18 September this year. the Federal Reserve steadily increased interest rates from the low of 1.00 4. However.50 5. Fig 29: Total debt/GDP in the US economy 1946-2007 Total Credit Market Debt/GDP 350% 300% 250% 200% 150% 100% 1946 Source: Federal Reserve 8. This would suggest a tightening of US monetary policy in order to constrain liquidity growth and lending activity and reduce the risk of accelerating inflation.00 5.5% when the tightening process began.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? The following chart shows how just how swamped and driven by debt the US economy has become.50 8.00 From 25 June 2003 until 29 June 2006.0% to a peak of 5. 41 .50 4.00 1.50 4.50 7.00 2.MIDDLE RATE(R.00 6.00 4.00 3.50 3.25%.50 1.SCALE) Source: DATASTREAM 1952 1958 1964 1970 1976 1982 1988 1994 2000 2006 Source: Datastream Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. By March 2006.50 2. Fig 30: The 'illusion' of tighter US monetary policy 29/10/07 5.00 0.00 7. The ratio of total debt in the US economy to GDP has increased from 133% in 1950 to a current level of almost 350% and is still rising.50 J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M US MONEY SUPPLY M3 .H.
Either: There will be a deflationary depression when debt levels are reduced and savings rebuilt. there is little prospect of the US returning to historic rates of economic growth without a painful adjustment process first. Consumer expenditure accounts for 70% of US GDP and is the driving force of US economic growth. the US consumer is now sitting on record debt levels. 42 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. This is because: A deflationary recession (depression) for the US now could be of unparalleled dimensions. The nature of credit and debt is that they essentially bring forward consumption. How will the US try to stave off a K-Winter? The US Government/Treasury and the Federal Reserve will do everything in their power to prolong the "distorted K-Autumn". This reverses the process and delays future consumption with the consequent negative impact on GDP growth. leading to the Winter phase of the K-Cycle. The experience of the US during the 1930s and Japan since the early-1990s is that deflations can be prolonged affairs. debt has to be repaid. We think there are two possible scenarios. It would likely threaten the country's geo-political interests and dominance. as illustrated by previous Kondratieff Cycles. We look at these in more detail in the next section "Why the US must avoid a K-Winter". or. is that at some point. . Having brought forward so much consumption in recent decades. more likely There will be an attempt at sustaining the credit bubble by inflating away the debt so that the pay-back process is less painful. The corollary.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? We would argue that the distortions have become so extreme that increases in US short rates by the Federal Reserve were nothing more than an attempt to choke off the most excessive speculation (and we still ended up with the sub-prime crisis) and to feign inflation-fighting credibility. lasting more than a decade. Fig 31: US consumer debt surges versus incomes Source: Federal Reserve It always surprises us how many economists ignore the issue of debt in assessing the prospects for future economic growth. As the following chart shows.
This is akin to the "perfect storm" for the gold price. Either scenario is very positive for the gold price. Bill Bonner. If a thing has to be used as a medium of exchange. the prices of many goods and services are not yet adjusted to the altered money relation. The following chart shows the amount of incremental nominal GDP generated by an incremental US$1. they restrict their purchases and concomitantly increase their cash holdings. observed: "No one. Within a very short time. A breakdown occurs. There are still people in the country who have not yet become aware of the fact that they are confronted with a price revolution which will finally result in a considerable rise of all prices. with the French mandats territoriaux in 1796. It will happen again whenever the same conditions appear. money/credit creation. Inflation is a policy that cannot last. Ludwig von Mises.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Our guess is that the US will try to defer the inevitable bust by adopting the latter tactic with a calamitous effect on the US dollar and likely inflation. i. They become scrap paper. it is not yet too late for the government to abandon its inflationary policy. Nobody wants to give away anything against them. The author of "Empire of Debt". The only way to sustain the credit bubble is for increasingly large doses of inflationary stimulus. The data is calculated as a four-year moving average.0 of debt in the US economy since 1950. The crack-up boom appears. public opinion must not believe that the quantity of this thing will increase beyond all bounds. Von Mises explains: "This first stage of the inflationary process may last for many years. but especially gold. 43 . Everybody is anxious to swap his money against "real" goods. the things which were used as money are no longer used as media of exchange. although the extent of this rise will not be the same in the various commodities and services. within a few weeks or even days.com/fsu/editorials/andros/2007/0608.financialsense. In this scenario. all "real" assets.e. It was this that happened with the Continental currency in America in 1781. As long as such ideas are still held by public opinion. ever. These people still believe that prices one day will drop. But then finally the masses wake up.html. We're the first. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. soar in price as individuals refuse to hold cash anticipating its declining purchasing power. anywhere. Bill. While it lasts." For a more detailed discussion of a "Crack-up Boom" see Ty Andros's series of articles beginning with www. no matter how much money he has to pay for them. has ever seen a worldwide Crack Up Boom. and with the German mark in 1923. They become suddenly aware of the fact that inflation is a deliberate policy and will go on endlessly. and loose monetary policy. Pretty exciting. It could also lead to a "Crack-up Boom" as outlined by Austrian economist. no matter whether he needs them or not. Waiting for this day. huh?" Yes and no.
But thanks to you. i. consequently. Indeed. the bigger-than-expected 50bp cut in Fed Funds by Fed Chairman Bernanke on 18 September 2007 and subsequent 25bp reduction last week on 30 October 2007.0 of debt to add US$1.00 of incremental debt in the US 1. each US$1. We're very sorry. we won't do it again. He argues that in deflation even zero short-term interest rates are too high in real terms and rates down the long end of the curve tend to remain well above zero. is consistent with this thesis. speeches and essays from the last few years. Today. the US Great Depression and the more recent deflation in Japan: Bernanke believes (along with Milton Friedman) that the main reason for the 1930s Depression was the ill-timed tightening of monetary policy by the Fed in an attempt to cool the surging stock market in the late-1920s. it takes US$5. BEA." 44 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.0 of incremental GDP.60 0. the benefit to GDP from additional debt has steadily declined.00 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 Source: Federal Reserve.00 0. Redburn Partners and thanks to Marc Faber In 1950. more and more inflationary debt creation and. loose monetary policy will be required.0 of additional debt only adds about US$0.80 0.20 to GDP. You're right.40 0. From our study of current Fed Chairman. Ben Bernanke's. . Over more than five decades.20 1. Critical to this conclusion was Bernanke's views on the two main deflationary episodes of the last century. it has been our long-held belief that he would use inflationary monetary policy in order to stave off the final deflationary phase of a K-Cycle.0 of incremental debt increased US nominal GDP by a similar amount.20 0. even after short-term nominal rates had been reduced to zero.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Fig 32: Addition to nominal GDP for each US$1. roughly US$1. In the wake of the sub-prime crisis and credit squeeze. In order to sustain the current bubble economy in the US.e. The level of debt in the economy at the time is not mentioned. Bernanke famously said to Milton Friedman on his 90th birthday: "I would like to say to Milton and Anna: Regarding the Great Depression. we did it. Bernanke also believes that Japan's inability to extract itself from its deflation was due to the country's monetary policy remaining too tight.
such as this from "Conducting Monetary Policy at Very Low Short-Term Interest Rates": "…an announced ceiling on some longer-term yield below the prevailing rate. By increasing the number of dollars in circulation… the US government can reduce the value of a dollar in terms of goods and services. we found eight (more than on any other subject) dealing with the subject of deflation. Bernanke believes deflation can be defeated through aggressive monetary inflation as expounded in his famous "printing press" speech (Deflation: Making Sure "It" Doesn't Happen Here) in 2002: "The conclusion that deflation is always reversible under a fiat money system follows from basic economic reasoning… Like gold. listed below. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report." Why the US must avoid a "K-Winter" There are two main reasons why we believe the US authorities will do everything they can to stave off the deflationary phase of the K-Cycle: Given the extreme indebtedness of both the US Government and the US consumer. Gold and the Great Depression (March 2004) Monetary Policy Alternatives at the Zero Bound (2004) The Logic of Monetary Policy (December 2004) Like Greenspan.com prior to his succession of Greenspan." Less well covered in the media have been his suggestions for "non-traditional" means in some of his other speeches and articles. US dollars have a value only to the extent that they are strictly limited in supply. But the US government has a technology called a printing press (or. which is the equivalent to raising the prices in dollars of those goods and services.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? During a search of Bernanke's speeches and articles on the Federal Reserve website www. the thrust of US geo-political strategy and even US hegemony itself (already coming under pressure from Russia and China). 45 . This policy entails (in principle) an unlimited commitment to purchase the targeted security at the announced price. Such a crisis would threaten. its electronic equivalent) that allows it to produce as many US dollars as it wishes at essentially no cost. if not completely negate. a deflationary slump could be unparalleled in its severity. today.federalreserve. Speech on the occasion of Milton Friedman's 90th birthday (November 2002) Deflation: Making Sure "It" Doesn't Happen Here (November 2002) Some Thoughts on Monetary Policy in Japan (March 2003) An Unwelcome Fall in Inflation (July 2003) Conducting Monetary Policy at Very Low Short-Term Interest Rates (January 2004) Money.
we are.0%. Few people realise there was a huge bull market in US Treasury bonds during the 1930s Depression. was the European. It is important to put the current level of debt/GDP into a historical context. with the exception of gold. leading to a spiralling Federal Deficit. Not surprisingly. fell sharply. according to Mackinder. already in uncharted waters as far as the debt burden is concerned. most of the money created was immediately invested in the bond market and US Treasury yields declined to just over 1. it has even been piled on to parts of an otherwise healthy corporate sector with the bubble in the private equity/LBO market. therefore. Threat to US geo-political strategy The geopolitical strategy being played out by the US is broadly in line with the geopolitical "Great Game" first posited by Sir Halford Mackinder of the London School of Economics in his "Heartland Theory". Middle East and Asian land mass. US Treasury bonds represented an attractive safe haven as prices of other assets. the financial sector and to the household/consumer. As the chart shows. the debt/GDP ratio peaked at 270% during the Great Depression of the 1930s. There would be a dollar crisis. The World Island. Fig 33: Total debt/GDP in the US economy 1915-2005 Source: Gabelli Funds At the time of the last K-Winter in the 1930s. the US was the largest creditor nation in the world. In recent years. A recession would dramatically reduce the US Government's tax revenues without a corresponding decline in expenditure. With the current level of debt/GDP now at approximately 350%. We have concerns about how these privatised companies (and their financiers) fare when the US economy finally moves into recession. which he considered as separate sea powers. excluding the UK and Japan. It spreads from the government to states and municipalities. Mackinder argued that the Eurasia region (or the "World Island" as he called it) is the "geographic pivot of history". If the US enters a deflationary recession now the situation could be different: The US is the world's largest debtor and reliant on foreign savings to finance its federal deficit.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Risk of severe depression The extreme indebtedness of the US economy is not confined to the federal government. The following chart from Gabelli Funds in 2002 perfectly illustrates the trend in debt associated with the current and previous K-Cycles. 46 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. In fact. although the federal government tried to stimulate the economy. .
Russia was close to completing the Trans-Siberian railway." In some ways little has changed since Mackinder proposed his theory. and the large land powers of Eurasia. US and Japan (at the time). Mackinder summarised his thinking in the famous dictum: "Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland. like Russia. The 'pivot' states that are the targets for control have shifted from Eastern Europe to the nations of Central Asia and the Middle East due to their energy resources and in order to contain a resurgent Russia. according to Mackinder. Czechoslovakia and Austria-Hungary). such as Russia and Germany.com Mackinder was a big supporter of the British Empire (and British hegemony) and gave a famous speech. if it invaded Russia. apart from the following: The US has succeeded the UK as the global hegemon. Having successfully contained Russia during the nineteenth century. former National Security Advisor to President Carter (1977-91) and a member of several globalist organisations. like the UK. in danger of moving in favour of Russia. Mackinder argued for the need to prevent a convergence of interests between the "pivot states" of Eastern Europe (e. Poland. The balance of power was. with Russia at the core of the "Heartland". almost as mobile as the naval powers.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? Fig 34: Eurasia – the "geo-political prize" Source: graphicmaps. 47 . His opinion was that there are two types of powers – sea powers. Mackinder asserted that with the development of the railway.g. or Germany. or a Sino-Japanese empire. "The Geographical Pivot of History". When he first presented his theory. In the wake of World War One and the Versailles Treaty. A highly influential proponent has been Zbigniew Brzezinski. Who rules the Heartland commands the World Island. if Germany invaded Russia. land powers were able to unite large land masses free from dependency on the seas. World history. Who rules the World Island commands the World. therefore. was an eternal struggle between the "seaman" and the "landman". he feared that railways would make the military strength of a land power. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. to the Royal Geographic Society in 1904.
namely Russia. A mere glance at the map also suggests that control over Eurasia would almost automatically entail Africa's subordination. . and shaping the international security order in line with American principles and interests. with China also signalling an increasing political interest in the region. As the introduction says: ". they are of importance from the standpoint of security and historical ambitions to at least three of their most important and more powerful neighbours. the chief geopolitical prize is Eurasia – and America's global primacy is directly dependent on how long and how effectively its preponderance on the Eurasian continent is sustained. rendering the Western Hemisphere and Oceania geopolitically peripheral to the world's central continent… About 75% of the world's people live in Eurasia. in addition to important minerals including gold.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? As he stated in his 1997 book." In his book." Moving into the current era. Brzezinski emphasises the importance of what he calls the "Eurasian Balkans"." 48 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report." Furthermore: "A power that dominates Eurasia would control two of the world's three most advanced and economically productive regions. Forces and Resources for a New Century" and published two months before the November 2000 Presidential election. both in its enterprises and underneath its soil. The document contrasts the challenges for US strategy in the 21st Century with those during the Cold War and sees a "unipolar world" dominated by the US. America's grand strategy should aim to preserve and extend this advantageous position as far into the future as possible. Cheney. All of the potential political and/or economic challengers to American primacy are Eurasian. and most of the world's physical wealth is there as well. Eurasia has been the centre of world power… For America. i.. the United States faces no global rival. Rumsfeld. "The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic Imperatives": "Ever since the continents started interacting politically. Eurasia accounts for about 60% of the world's GNP and about three-fourths of the world's known energy resources… The world's two most populous aspirants to regional hegemony and global influence are Eurasian.e.At present. But the Eurasian Balkans are infinitely more important as a potential economic prize. precluding the rise of a great power rival. some 500 years ago. as well as Jeb Bush. as being critical for world dominance: "Moreover. some of Brzezinski's views were picked up by the neoconservative group. Wolfowitz and "Scooter" Libby amongst others." And: "…we saw the project as building upon the defense strategy outlined by the Cheney Defense Department… drafted in the early months of 1992 (which) provided a blueprint for maintaining US pre-eminence.. Turkey and Iran. PNAC's grand geo-political strategy was contained in the document "Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy. an enormous concentration of natural gas and oil reserves is located in the region. the Central Asian Republics. This "think tank" was created in June 1997 and included eight future members of the Bush Administration. the "Project for the New American Century".
Furthermore the US-sponsored "color revolutions" in Georgia and the Ukraine. In November 2004. With more aggressive rhetoric from Cheney about Iran recently. Saakashvili backed the Baku-Tiblisi-Ceyhan pipeline that would move Azerbaijan's Caspian oil to Western markets. Mikheil Saakashvili. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. it would seem the current administration's apparent desire to control the strategic oil assets in the Middle East seems undaunted. Both target the preservation of US hegemony and the prevention of any rivals to US power.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Kondratieff: inflation or deflation? The strategic differences of Brzezinski and PNAC are minor. especially if US workers were losing their jobs in large numbers. we outline how we believe monetary inflation and waning world supremacy are inexorably linked. Russia and Iran. If the US were to suffer from a severe deflationary recession now. This could lead to a pull-back from Eurasia. 49 . it might be politically untenable to continue fighting two expensive wars on the Eurasian continent. suggest that elements of Mackinder's theory remain valid: In November 2003. both key Central Asian Republics." In Appendix 5. the "Orange Revolution" in Ukraine installed a pro-NATO regime under Viktor Yushchenko. As Brzezinski argued: "The most immediate task is to make certain that no state or states gain the capacity to expel the United States from Eurasia or even diminish significantly its decisive arbitration role. PNAC's cause celebre was the ousting of Saddam Hussein which came to pass. the "Rose Revolution" in Georgia saw Edouard Shevardnadze replaced by US-educated and pro-NATO President. although its standing has been severely tainted by the ongoing security problems in both Iraq and Afghanistan. with the vacuum left by the US filled by a combination of China.
Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand You can't model it! The 'official' statistics for gold supply and demand are provided by the World Gold Council (WGC). "…supply and demand in the case of a monetary metal are indeterminate because of the huge speculative following as it switches its loyalty back and forth between the long and short side of the market…" Antal Fekete.550 886 674 674 4.459 690 2.598 -29 Source: World Gold Council. as we will explain. Therefore.820 509 994 -25 200 4.507 466 575 -40 50 3.727 86 3.372 412 3.614 411 398 -60 133 3. 50 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. all the gold in bar and coin form should be considered as potential supply and a significant proportion of gold jewellery in Asian nations (especially India).075 0 4.301 0 4.743 167 2. This gold in the form of bars. together with our estimates for 2007-10 are shown in the following format: Fig 35: World Gold Council – supply and demand model 2002 Supply: Mine Production Scrap Government Sales Sub-total Producer Hedging Total Demand: Jewellery Industrial/Dental Bar & Coin Retail Investment Other Retail Investment ETFs Sub-total Producer De-hedging Total "Inferred Investment" 2. The problem is that it is impossible to model the markets for monetary metals such as gold and silver. The supply and demand numbers.478 380 310 -18 39 3.930 0 3.930 2009E 2. or approximately five billion ounces. coins and jewellery.918 -108 2. Certainly. Redburn Partners estimates The WGC describes the balancing figure of "Inferred Investment" as the residual including "institutional investment other than ETFs and similar.496 422 3.159 100 4.558 320 3.279 452 411 -28 260 3.525 940 395 395 3. using data from industry consultant Gold Fields Mineral Services (GFMS) Ltd. .591 835 545 545 3.575 940 415 415 3.492 849 469 469 3.106 329 329 3. gold supply is theoretically almost all the gold ever mined.149 0 4. has been criticised (justifiably we believe) in an article by an independent analyst.110 0 4.652 987 435 435 4.971 0 3.707 427 411 -26 208 3.149 2004 2.810 0 3.852 100 3.000 tonnes.189 270 3.860 2008E 2.498 100 4. This table.593 939 617 617 4.813 297 2. is relatively easy to re-sell back into the market.086 457 457 4.680 360 332 0 0 3.910 2007E 2.878 -18 2.374 369 3.075 2010E 2.259 -184 2. Robert Blumen. unlike other commodities which are "consumed". estimated to be approximately 158. Memorial University of Newfoundland The WGC's methodology is flawed because.971 2003 2.301 2. The WGC table is of limited value. by the WGC (but much higher in reality).859 0 3.607 480 690 -25 100 3.110 2006 2. almost all the gold ever mined remains on the surface of the planet. Professor Emeritus. stock movements and other elements as well as any residual error".758 1. etc.952 -23 2. where it is deliberately used as a store of wealth.475 1.711 494 829 -25 150 4.784 187 2. widely used by convention.910 0 3.810 2005 2.
We believe this is incorrect. As Blumen points out. a fall in the WGC's estimate of annual supply would have to be met with a corresponding decline in its estimate for demand (including "Inferred Investment"). All increases in Exchange Traded Funds' (ETFs) holdings are assumed to be matched by actual increases in physical bullion when there is some doubt as to whether this is always the case. central bank ("official") sales. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. rather than settling for cash) following the huge increase in hedging during 1995-2000. the main problems with the WGC's methodology are: The assumption that there is no central bank ("official") buying.e. supply is considered to be annual levels of mine production.6%). Gold miners have been closing out hedges for several years (which is gold demand as long as they deliver gold back to the original lender. institutions and private investors where gold bars/coins are moved from the existing holders ("weak hands") to new holders. In the WGC format. The reality is that: The rises and falls in the price of gold take place against a continuing rise in overall gold 'inventory'. the model cannot accommodate the overall investment by central banks. the recycling of old gold scrap (largely jewellery) and hedging by gold mining companies. Every year there is a small addition to overall 'theoretical' supply from mined production – currently approximately 2. In this case. there are several issues that we can look at which will contribute positively to the supply and demand balance. This would occur irrespective of the economic/financial backdrop during the year and movements of the world gold stock between market participants would not be captured. 51 . however. Having said that. otherwise the model would not balance. "Inferred Investment" becomes just a balancing figure between flawed and incomplete estimates for gold supply and demand. as we have done in the first part of this report.500 tonnes pa (+1. These influences are likely to drive the gold market flows of "big players" such as central banks and investment/hedge funds. that gold holders effectively demand gold by holding existing stocks back from the market. i. rather it is a question of the price at which that gold is mobilised by its owners. or to existing holders increasing their holdings ("strong hands"). there is something called "reservation demand". The impossibility of modelling supply and demand for gold is a strong incentive for focusing on the macro picture. as it fails to account for the movement of existing gold stock between buyers and sellers in the bullion market (except for recycled jewellery in "Scrap"). It is very easy to identify situations which are not sensibly accommodated using this methodology. There can never be a "supply shortage" as occurs in other "consumed" goods. For example. It is precisely this situation which we believe has been occurring in recent years as gold has been in a bull market. The gold lending/swaps market is assumed not to exist apart from gold which is either borrowed (supply) or repaid (demand) from gold miners increasing or decreasing their hedging activities.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand The only thing that the WGC's format captures is part of the incremental supply and demand each year. On the demand side.
They actually prefer their own currency. Taiwan.500 meters above sea level can figure out that the US dollar is undesirable as a store of wealth. From US$75. If a fellow with no education. real estate and commodities.4trn at the end of July 2007 – an annual run rate of about US$0. and inadequate medical treatment living at 3.32trn." The chart below shows the rise in China's foreign exchange reserves since 1995. In an October 2007 report. private equity. Thailand. etc. . Oil nations' capital outflows of US$484bn slightly exceeded those of East Asia's US$446bn with in a worldwide total of US$1.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand Inevitability of increased central bank buying "I've lived in Latin America for the better part of twenty-five years and for the first time.0trn in October 2006 and stood at US$1. the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that oil exporting nations (this includes Russia) became the largest source of net global capital flows last year.4bn at the end of 1995. a poor diet. Here's my last news flash for you. people don't want dollars. how much longer do you think it can last as the world's reserve currency?" Enrico Orlandini of Dow Theory Analysis We expect two major sources of increasing central bank demand: The BRIC nations and some of their smaller Asian brethren. McKinsey makes the point that: "…oil portfolios today are generally diversified across debt and equity securities as well as alternative asset classes. 52 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. Fig 36: Oil exporters – net global capital flow 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Oil Source: McKinsey Global Institute 2000 East Asia 2001 2002 Rest 2003 2004 2005 2006E W. such as Vietnam. Philippines. OPEC nations. Europe In terms of asset allocation. such as hedge funds. they reached US$1.5trn pa.
3% 10. only Russia (5.8% 2.0% 4. Russia and the Middle Eastern nations have rapidly growing foreign exchange reserves. Greece. stand out in particular.0% 3. The table below shows how the three most powerful of these nations.8% 1. Qatar.4% 3.9% 3. India. While the WGC demand and supply model does not incorporate any central bank buying.3% 2.0% 0. its statistics on official gold reserves show exactly this.1% 3.8% 4.4% 7.500 tonnes of gold.6% We estimate that for China. Fig 38: Gold reserves – BRIC. Russia also bought 14. Kazakhstan.9 tonnes during the second half of 2006. with low single-digit percentages of their reserves in gold. China. The average gold holding as a percentage of forex reserves is 9% on a worldwide basis.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand Fig 37: Growth in China's foreign exchange reserves 1995-2007 (US$bn) 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Source: Redburn Partners Not only do countries such as China. but they are almost all underweight gold as a proportion of their foreign exchange reserves. India and Russia. they would need to buy almost 7. OPEC and other emerging nations Country China Taiwan Russia India Venezuela Algeria Libya Saudi Arabia Singapore Thailand Kuwait Indonesia Malaysia Nigeria Qatar Source: World Gold Council Tonnes 600 423 408 358 357 174 144 143 127 84 79 73 36 21 12 % of reserves 0. 53 . equal to three years of annual mine production. However.6 tonnes) and Qatar (11.9% 1.4% 31. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. Its latest report shows that the central banks of Russia. Russia and India to increase their gold reserves to the 9% average of total foreign exchange reserves.3 tonnes) reportedly bought in significant quantities. Serbia and the Ukraine were buyers of gold during the first nine months of 2007.
In November 2005. the most influential Middle East 'think tank'. published a 2005 paper titled "The Role of Gold in the unified GCC Currency" in which it described the dollar's status as the world's reserve currency as a "dead man walking": "The paper dollar standard is a dead man walking. which were then approximately 387 tonnes. Its debt. Gold is a highly political and strategic metal and overtly to build up gold reserves could anger the US and disrupt international markets.0trn. Russian buying is very likely to accelerate going forward. it would likely encourage copycat buying by funds and individuals who perceived gold to be a one-way bet. From the Chairman of the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee on Chinese gold buying: "They have been discreetly buying up natural resources for at least the last five years… (we) have known for years how they have been accumulating gold via our STALKER source. it is highly unlikely that powerful nations such as Russia and China are being completely open about their actions in the gold market. Fig 39: Russia and China – gold reserves 1997-2006 (tonnes) 1997 Russia China 507 395 1998 458 395 1999 415 395 2000 384 395 2001 423 501 2002 388 600 2003 390 600 2004 387 600 2005 387 600 2006 402 600 Source: World Gold Council According to the WGC." 54 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report." This was followed by a statement by the first deputy chairman of the Russian central bank in which he said the bank would be: "…buying gold on all markets on which it is available. China has not purchased any gold since 2002 – during which time its foreign exchange reserves have increased by more than US$1. The table below shows the reported gold reserves of Russia and China at the end of each of the last ten years. It will either default or be inflated to such an extent that it will not hurt (the US) to pay it back." The Gulf Research Center. We find it inconceivable that some of this has not gone into gold.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand If the 20. President Vladamir Putin backed the plan and was quoted by Interfax as saying: "I support the proposal that the central bank pay greater attention to precious metals in forming our gold and foreign exchange reserves. the Russian central bank announced that it would double its level of gold reserves. is too high to be effectively repaid. for two reasons: If publicly available statistics showed substantial ongoing buying by these nations. This would work against the interests of these nations.5 tonnes of gold bought by Russia is the correct figure. China has publicly declared that it has been building a strategic oil stockpile since October 2006 and has created a Sovereign Wealth Fund. It would be naïve." In our opinion. . in our view. to believe they are not building a strategic reserve of gold at the same time. accumulated over the recent decades.
55 . self-interest takes over and the governments of some nations begin to break ranks. argues. Nations holding reserves in US dollars are effectively being taxed by the global superpower's inflationary monetary policy. and to a lesser extent. Indonesia: cut US dollar reserves from 95% to 80% (December 2006). Traditionally. the US Dollar. the US. this took the form of gold. Germany. but the history of empires is that they tax other nations.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand It then went on to emphasise the importance of gold to protect capital against the monetary policy of the US: "Gold will be a suitable means of asset protection and ultimate payment in such a scenario. Iran: will shift reserves from US dollars to Euros (December 2006 – although believed to have been doing so since 2003). contributed to the collapse of the London Gold Pool in 1968. UAE: considering cut in US dollar reserves from 98% to 50-90%. France. is more subtle: "It did not enforce the direct payment of taxes like all of its predecessor empires did. Venezuela: diversifying reserves out of US dollar into Euro (October 2005). Malaysia: diversifying US dollar reserves but no details given (January 2007). as the economist. Krassimir Petrov. slaves or soldiers. Governments have always taxed their subjects. we think China. the taxation of other nations by today's superpower. Russia and possibly some Middle Eastern nations are the most likely candidates. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. This time around. South Korea: will diversify its US dollar reserves but no details given (February 2005). Qatar: may increase the percentage of its foreign exchange reserves held in Euros to 40%. Thailand: considering cutting US dollars from 80% to 50% (January 2005). natural resources. The lesson of history is that as the US dollar comes under more pressure as the world's reserve currency. to other nations in exchange for goods with the intended consequence of inflating and devaluing those dollars and paying back later each dollar with less economic goods – the difference capturing the US imperial tax"." During the last three years at least 11 nations have signalled an intention to reduce the proportion of US dollars in their forex reserves: Russia: increased the proportion of Euros (November 2004). but distributed instead its own fiat currency. However. Italy: cut the proportion of US dollar reserves from 84% to 63%. Sweden: cut the proportion of US dollars in its reserves from 37% to 20%. It will preserve the wealth of individuals and central banks alike and will ensure important manoeuvrability for the latter.
3 25.0 218.3 48. 56 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. India is particularly important as it is by far the world's largest market for gold.7 165.183. another major source of growing demand is private buying from emerging nations.8 16. In its September 2006 report. Behind it come the Middle East and a rapidly growing China.3 H107 528. Fig 40: Gold – consumer demand in top ten countries Country India Middle East China Turkey US Vietnam Russia Indonesia Italy UK Other Total worldwide Source: World Gold Council H106 307.8 31. from their parents as a form of inheritance. amounted to 691. The populations in these nations have a strong affinity for gold. also being overtaken by Turkey. There are an estimated ten million marriages in India each year. which had made it illegal to hold gold in bar form. gold is viewed as symbolic of wealth and prosperity. Global Insight.1 125. China.1 29. In the first half of 2007.1 16.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand Private gold buying in Asia and the Middle East Besides central bank buying.6 31. and behind it came the Middle East.6 21. These cultural factors are being reinforced by growing incomes on the back of India's rapid economic expansion.4 122. Buying gold is an important method of saving for the large rural community. consumer demand for gold surged 72% in India and the country accounted for 36% of the worldwide total.4 109.1 220.1 157. the WGC highlighted a report by economic forecaster. This figure accounted for 26% of the worldwide total last year.8 39. Turkey and Vietnam. highlighting the expected rapid growth in household incomes in the country. .480.4 Change +72% +16% +31% +10% -15% +55% +25% +15% -10% -1% -1% +25% % of world total 36% 12% 11% 8% 7% 3% 3% 2% 1% 1% 16% 100% The World Gold Council reported that India's demand for gold had grown on average by 10% pa since the repeal of the Gold Control Act in 1990. According to WGC estimates – Indian "consumer demand" – consisting of jewellery and net retail investment. especially Diwali in October/November and Akshaya in April/May. The US was in third place.9 128. Indian brides are given gold as a gift from both the wedding guests and. more importantly. Gold is bought or given as a gift during important Hindu festivals.1 1.7 24.2 181. "The Role of Gold in India".8 114. The US fell back to fifth place.1 tonnes in 2006. The possession of gold is firmly rooted in Indian culture: In the Hindu religion. such as India.8 1.
are all likely to post flat or lower production in 2007. In aggregate. Redburn Partners estimates The three largest gold companies. Reserve replacement is becoming more of a challenge as was summed up in a recent comment from Newmont.000 1. 57 .." Flat gold mine output The figures from the World Gold Council show that worldwide gold production has been broadly flat since the late-1990s. Barrick Gold. of households in 2015 167m 30m 3m GATA's "Stalker" source reported the feedback from a conversation with a former member of the World Gold Council: ".0m oz. this dwarfs all the other factors regarding the gold price.e.1m ounces of mined gold last year – 25% of the worldwide total. don't stand in the way of the inevitable. All three are expected to show flat/down production through to 2009. at least for the next several years. these companies accounted for 20.000 US$30-80.500 2. mined production could actually decline over the medium/long term.the most important factor for gold was the growing population of India and China. In his opinion.000+ Source: Global Insight Growth +52% +87% +200% No. during the last nine years.500 1.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand Fig 41: India: growth in household income levels 2005-15 Household income US$13-30..000 500 0 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008E 2010E Source: World Gold Council.000 US$80. i. the world's second-largest gold miner: "While the entire industry faces exploration challenges. Fig 42: World gold mining production 1992-2010E (tonnes) 3. and their population has a propensity for gold." This slide shows the dearth of major gold discoveries.000 2. Indeed.. This situation is unlikely to change. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. defined as deposits with more than 3. if not longer.. Newmont and AngloGold Ashanti. the aging nature and size of our deposits results in lower grades and may limit our ability to replace reserves in 2007.
Fig 44: Central banks: official gold holdings at September 2007 Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Country United States Germany IMF France Italy Switzerland Japan Netherlands ECB China Taiwan Russia Portugal India Venezuela United Kingdom Lebanon Austria Spain Belgium Tonnes 8. .242 765 641 605 600 423 408 383 358 357 310 287 282 282 228 % of reserves 76 63 55 64 40 2 56 24 1 3 2 87 3 31 13 32 43 35 34 Source: World Gold Council 58 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. The largest reported holders are major industrialised nations. together with financial institutions such as the IMF and ECB.134 3. France and Italy.217 2. Germany. like the US.120 tonnes. The table below shows the reported quantity of gold and the percentage of total forex reserves accounted for by gold for the top 20 holders.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand Fig 43: Gold exploration – harder to find large deposits Source: Newmont Mining Washington agreement sales waning The World Gold Council estimates that total holdings of gold bullion by the world's central banks is 30.418 3.658 2.452 1.
why was a second agreement negotiated for further sales and at an even higher level? Secondly. a substantial acceleration in sales from Switzerland and Spain led to aggregate sales increasing to 466 tonnes. If the point of the first CBGA was not to enter the market as sellers with exception of "already decided sales". Once again. After the expiry of the first agreement in September 2004. the SNB had already sold 113 tonnes. the maximum permitted sales level was increased from 400 tonnes to 500 tonnes pa.108 The details of the Swiss sale are worth highlighting. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. equivalent to a monthly rate of approximately 32 tonnes. Redburn Partners 2004-05 47 15 30 115 5 0 55 55 30 15 130 497 2005-06 57 14 0 135 5 0 68 45 63 10 0 396 2006-07 60 8 0 107 5 0 14 0 149 10 113 466 2007-08E 60 12 10 120 0 0 15 25 50 13 69 374 2008-09E 60 12 10 120 0 0 15 25 50 13 69 374 Total 284 61 50 597 15 0 167 150 342 61 381 2. except that there will be no further sales in the calendar year 2007. a second five-year agreement was made. Selling at an even monthly rate would mean approximately nine tonnes of sales each month. which amounted to nearly one-third of its gold reserves in just one year. Fig 45: Gold sales – CBGA 2 Country ECB Austria Belgium France Germany Italy Netherlands Portugal Spain Sweden Switzerland Total Source: World Gold Council. In addition. The agreement was to last for five years and limited gold sales to a maximum of 400 tonnes pa. which included provision for the UK to sell the remaining 365 tonnes from its 415-tonne sale announced in May of that year. During the year just ended. By 26 September 2007. More sales are likely in 2008 although there is no clarification from the Bank of Spain. As the following table shows. on gold sales in September 1999. On 14 June 2007. 59 .8 tonnes. This leaves only another 137 tonnes during the latter two years of the agreement. about 69 tonnes on average per year. it seems strange that the SNB is in such as rush to sell when the gold price is acting so well. The biggest seller in 2006-07 was Spain with 149 tonnes.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand The ECB and 14 European Central Banks signed the Central Bank Gold Agreement (CBGA) – the "Washington Agreement". why was the Bank of England not a signatory to the second agreement? The likely answer to the latter is that the Bank of England has increased its activity in gold lending in opposition to the CBGA guidelines. the central banks almost reached this sales ceiling in 2004/05 but fell well short of it in the second year with only 395. although they still fell short of the ceiling. Under this agreement. i.e. The Bank of England was one of the parties to this agreement. the Bank of England was absent as a signatory. the Swiss National Bank (SNB) announced that it would sell 250 tonnes of gold by the end of September 2009.
we would expect some modest selling by the central bank. which could have been achieved through the sale of 1. We expect French sales to continue at approximately 120 tonnes for the remaining two years. However.5 tonnes leave an additional 28." So Italian sales appear to be off the agenda for the foreseeable future.740 tonnes of gold (71% of its holdings). with both being holders of large gold reserves. Belgium and Austria have averaged 10-12 tonnes of sales per annum and we also expect this to continue." For now we assume that the Bundesbank will continue its no sales policy. In the first three years. in full independence. average annual sales of almost 120 tonnes leave the company exactly on track to meet 600 tonnes. As gold commentator. under the rules of the European Union. Axel Weber. its planned sales include only a further 25 tonnes in the last two years of the current agreement. The ECB seems to be selling at a fairly consistent level in the region of 50-60 tonnes per annum and we assume this will continue.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand When it signed the second CBGA. For the German government to overrule the Bundesbank would require a majority vote by the German Parliament. although it is possible that they could feature prominently in a third CBGA from 2009-10 onwards. its President. Firstly. The German Bundesbank has already stated that it will not sell gold in the current year to September 2008. to pay the bills of the governments of Europe…" It also infringed on the authority of the European Central Bank and the Italian Government received a rebuke from the European Commission: "It is up to the ECB to decide about the foreign reserves (including gold reserves) of the Euro area member states. the Reichstag. only a fraction of this could be sold under the current Washington Agreement and secondly. pointed out in August 2007: "Sales of gold by European Central Banks are primarily for the adjustment of national reserves in terms of structure or size. Sales of 136. Beyond that. but with 383 tonnes of reserves. there were two problems.2%. Portugal was a medium-sized seller during the first two years of the current agreement. . The aim was to reduce Italy's debt from 105. the Italian Parliament gave the go-ahead for the Government to look into whether Italy could use its gold reserves to help reduce the national debt. The wild cards are Germany and Italy.5 tonnes during the final two years. Italy's central bank has also declined to sell any gold in the current year. has previously stated: "Gold is a useful counter to the swings of the dollar. France said that it intended to sell 500-600 tonnes over the next five years. 60 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. No guidance on further sales has been given by the Portuguese authorities. Sweden sold 10 tonnes last year and will sell a further 10 tonnes in 2008. However. They are not intended. The Netherlands has targeted 165 tonnes of sales during the second agreement.1% of GDP to 103. Julian Phillips. While there is no clarification beyond next September. gold sales for this purpose are not permitted under the terms of the European Union. but sales dried up in 2006-07.
a further potential source of "official" supply is the IMF. The difficulty of gaining Congressional approval in 1999 was one factor that led to the Bank of England being pressured into the UK's gold sale. recommended that the IMF sell 400 tonnes (12%) of its gold to put the bank's finances on a "sounder footing". selling the IMF's gold is not that simple. In a recent interview with Le Monde. In total. so its approval is essential. However. The problem for the US administration and the Federal Reserve is that Congressional approval is required. These nations were concerned about the potential adverse impact on the gold price. an 85% voting majority of IMF members is needed. Indeed. but we would not expect anything other than a short-term correction in the gold price should they take place. The US has a 17. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.5% vote. To reiterate. Aside from Washington Agreement sales. to be willing buyers. When IMF's gold sale was proposed in 1999 to provide debt relief for poor countries. our estimates for central bank gold sales during the remaining two years of the current agreement suggest that the signatories will fall well short of the 500-tonnes sales ceiling unless Germany has a change of heart.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Gold supply and demand As the table above shows. the IMF has 3. 61 .217 tonnes (103m oz) of gold reserves. the sale of 1. This should be a positive development for the gold price.200 tonnes by the IMF and US Treasury during 1976-80 failed to stop the gold price reaching its all-time high. Before any sales can take place. who are important gold producers. including Alan Greenspan and Jean-Claude Trichet. said that central bankers did not seem to oppose gold sales. such as sub-Saharan African nations of Ghana and Mali. it was actually opposed by some of these countries. Earlier this year a "panel". we would expect emerging nations with rapidly growing foreign exchange reserves. The likelihood of IMF sales is uncertain. and gold producers could vote against any new proposal. like China. Dominique Strauss-Kahn. the new head of the IMF.
Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Gold market Introduction Gold is the most "honest" of financial assets. rather than on a recognised exchange. and the loco London bullion account the bullion equivalent of the currency nostro account. This has meant that dealers around the world are able to settle bullion transactions between themselves by transfers between London dealers such that most global "over the counter" (OTC) gold and silver trading is cleared through the London Bullion Market Clearing. In the following sections we will examine the lack of transparency and evidence of intervention in the gold market. how much physical gold falls short of the amount claimed by owners." Zurich overtook London in terms of the physical movement of bullion during the late 1960s with the collapse of the London Gold Pool. Zurich is. although it remains the largest – just). overall. South Africa switched from supplying newly mined gold from London to Zurich. small investors and the general population in deciding how to allocate capital. Most gold is traded through London. the gold market is possibly the most opaque and subject to intervention by governments and central banks. South Africa was by far the world's largest gold producer. If the gold market is not transparent and free. by and between dealers globally. The large Swiss banks were 62 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. By far the biggest centres for OTC gold trading are London and Zurich. being nobody else's liability. which is still the destination for the majority of gold mined today.minimum fineness of 995. We will try to assess how much gold is leased/swapped out of the vaults of the central banks and bullion banks and.025 of an ounce – the smallest weight used in the market. This fact means that trading against a quotation for loco London delivery bullion. larger in terms of the wholesale movement of physical gold... makes the loco London price the common denominator in global bullion pricing. accounting for nearly 60% of production (now only 11%. The gold price is an important gauge of the state of the world economic and financial situation. however.5 kilograms. it acts against the interests of businesses." The "London Good Delivery" gold bar is defined by the LBMA as: ". At the time. It warns of economic instability and the debasement of paper currencies as investors and the general public are forced to hoard gold in order to protect capital/purchasing power.0 and a gold content of between 350 and 430 fine ounces with the bar weight expressed in multiples of 0. When Sterling was devalued. . As the Bank of England explains: "Bullion traders from all over the world have traditionally maintained precious metal accounts with members of the LBMA. institutional investors. Most gold is traded "loco London". holders of sterling reserve balances in London experienced substantial losses. However. A sharply rising price acts like a "canary in the mine". Bars are generally close to 400 ounces or 12. The LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) – a "professional's" market The vast majority of gold trading takes place on an OTC (over-the-counter) basis. which acts as the clearing centre for the majority of OTC gold trades.
the Gold Forward Offered rate. has proposed that a shift into backwardation for the gold price would signify the collapse of the current fiat money system. The only problem was that the forward prices for gold production were negotiated at the time of the deal. The gold price almost always trades in contango. putting the cash on deposit and buying a gold future with the intention of taking delivery of the physical. less the income which could be earned from leasing out the gold to a third party – the lease rate. The catalyst for the development of the gold derivatives market was threefold and occurred during the 1980s: Innovation by the major bullion banks operating in the gold market (e. It would mean that investors would not be prepared to accept lower priced "paper promises" for future gold delivery in comparison to holding the physical metal. Antal Fekete. had their own gold refineries and were important depositories for the gold holdings of governments and wealthy individuals. JPMorgan Chase. et al) who developed the gold loans (leasing) and forwards markets.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market already very experienced in gold trading. The contango also reflects the fact that almost all the gold ever mined is theoretically still available to the market. at c1-2%. The gold lending and swaps markets depend on forward (future) gold prices. swapping) their gold reserves in the bullion markets back in the 1980s. or GOFO (from the mnemonic for its Reuters page). The forward price "GOFO" is related to LIBOR and the gold lease rate such that: GOFO Or. The gold could be returned from future production. hence the existence of short-term supply bottlenecks causing even a temporary backwardation is highly unlikely. albeit a relatively low one. Professor Emeritus at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. HSBC. This would be in spite of the seemingly "free profit" from selling the physical. selling it into the spot market and utilising the proceeds. 63 . but was considerably higher in the 1990s. Gold is not just bought and sold spot. This reflects the foregone interest (let's assume it approximates to LIBOR from having cash tied up in gold). Gold swapped earns a "premium". Goldman Sachs. the gold lease rate. so any benefit from a rising gold price was negated until the loan was repaid (although it did provide downside protection).g.e. Some gold miners could fund new projects more cheaply by borrowing gold. rearranging this gives: LIBOR = GOFO + Gold lease rate = LIBOR Gold lease rate Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.25%. Gold can be bought and sold forward. There is a very large derivatives market with a liquid forward market. This is currently 0. swapped and lent (leased). i. Gold mobilised (lent or swapped) into the market earns income: Lent gold earns an interest rate. Deutsche Bank. The desire by central banks to earn a return on their gold reserves which led them to start mobilising (lending. the forward price exceeds the spot price. UBS.
The same FT article highlighted the deficiencies in the data: "…traders insisted the association's statistics were only part of the picture because matched orders are cleared without appearing in the statistics. Mr.0 6.0 5. of Standard Bank. Zurich or elsewhere. the international settlement centre for gold bullion. Since then. it has published the average daily volume of gold cleared through London.79250% Gold lease rate 0." However. This is the first authoritative indication of the size of the global gold market.0 4.20393% This simple relationship connects all the spot and forward rates used in swaps and lending (leasing) transactions in the gold market: Gold swap is an exchange of gold for foreign exchange that includes a commitment to repurchase the gold at a fixed price at a future date.0 20. Gold loan/lease is where gold is loaned to another party subject to a promise to return it at a future date for the payment of a fee – the lease rate. to give the full scope of the global market … Another said the exercise was "futile" because it did not give a complete picture of bullion market activity.0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Value US$bn 2005 2006 2007 14.0 0. An FT article on 30 January 1997 commented: "Deals involving about 30 million troy ounces.0 8. .Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market From the London Bullion Market Association's website.0 15.0 10. In fact. The following chart shows the trend since 1998: Fig 46: LBMA – average gold ounces transferred (m oz/day) and value (US$bn) 40.0 2. transferred Source: LBMA 64 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. or 930 tonnes." In 2006.5m oz (nearly 670 tonnes) of gold was cleared through London each day. it wasn't until January 1997 that the LBMA published any data on gold trading.0 0.0 30.0 25. it is not possible to ascertain the true level of OTC gold trading around the world – not in London. London. and possibly five. it is important to note that the volume of gold cleared is much lower than the volume of gold traded since LBMA clearing members net out their own and thirdparty trades so that only the level of account transfers between clearing members is reported.0 35.0 Oz. said the 30m ounces should be "multiplied by three. and was revealed yesterday by the London Bullion Market Association. an average of 21.58857% = LIBOR 4. Jeffrey Rhodes. Surprisingly.0 12. of gold valued at more than $10 billion are cleared every working day in London. the current values are: GOFO 4.0 10.
Head of Market Infrastructure for the FSA.500 tonnes or 80m oz) is cleared through London in an average of less than four days.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market It is very important to put this volume of gold trading in perspective: The equivalent of all the gold mined worldwide in a year (about 2. of course. At the current gold price. In an environment of unlimited credit and debt creation. bullion markets are typically inter-professional in the UK. in its 1996 Gold Survey." Rob Kirby. this is from the FSA's Andy Murchin again on the differences between regulating "on exchange" and OTC markets: "Markets run by exchanges tend to get tighter regulation. Andy Murfin. observed: "…the FSA has to look at customer protection. GFMS implies that it's the very lack of transparency that attracts trading volume to the OTC markets in London and Zurich: "The other advantage of the OTC market is confidentiality and lack of transparency: business can be conducted privately. competitors. Besides the lack of transparency on actual trading volumes. that represents transactions worth more than US$838. Rob Kirby Analytics Now." The FSA imposes tighter regulations on exchanges to prevent them being used for abusive purposes. analysts.000 ounces of gold".000 – hardly the stuff of small investors. 65 . but "regulators" as well! Turning to the regulators. In a speech in January 2003." That's an interesting comment – that gold trading on the OTC market can be sheltered not just from analysts and competitors. We agree that it's a professional's market. For instance. sheltered from the attention of other market participants. regulation on the OTC gold markets is also extremely 'light' and seems more reminiscent of the self-regulatory/ gentleman's club style of the London Stock Exchange prior to "Big Bang" in 1986. This is very significant and we outline the significance of unallocated gold below. and the FSA applies a lighter professional touch to professional markets. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. which are effectively claims on "pools of gold" rather than relating to individual gold bars with specific serial numbers. and it has an obligation to adjust the amount of customer protection that it provides to the amount that's needed. regulators and." The London bullion market is a wholesale market where the "minimum traded amounts for clients are generally 1. say 4x. The vast majority of OTC trading (probably over 95%) takes place in the form of "unallocated gold" accounts. the volume of gold mined worldwide each year is traded every day. and it might work perfectly well for professional gold traders. a transparent and market is a critical barometer of the economic outlook: "…the significance of a rapidly rising price of gold is a signal of trouble ahead. If the true volume of trading is 3-5x the level of trades reported as cleared by the LBMA. The FSA imposes obligations on these exchanges to monitor the market to prevent the market being used for abusive purposes.
other banks. statistical evidence. they are settled via debits and credits in metal (unallocated) accounts: "Many of these transactions end up being settled by metal accounts through the six clearing members that interchange in the same way as any bank clearing mechanism. Whilst it is very difficult to get hard. as transactions are conducted solely between the two principals involved." So the bank is paid a fee by a customer and. we would prefer a greater degree of transparency. unless they specifically wish to take delivery of the physical bullion.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market The LBMA has this to say about transparency on its website: "Unlike a futures exchange. the Sterling Money Markets Liaison Group and the Management Committee of the London Bullion Market Association defined allocated gold as follows: "Allocated accounts are accounts maintained by dealers in client's names on which are maintained balances of identifiable bars of metal "Allocated" to the customer's name and segregated from other metal held in the vault. where trading is based around standard contract units. Transparency promotes trust. Everyone trading for loco London is using loco London as the international medium for transactions. The client has full title to this metal with the dealer holding it on the client's behalf as custodian. of little interest to banks. the Foreign Exchange Joint Standing Committee. the OTC market allows flexibility. Storing gold in vaults is a low-margin business and. Unallocated versus allocated gold Gold held in the vaults of bullion banks by central banks. Just because someone holds their gold in London. Furthermore. under custody law. but they will move nevertheless. investment funds and private clients is held in one of two forms: Allocated Unallocated In their 2006 "Code". Instead. . As the chairman of the LBMA Physical Committee explained in a speech "The Physical Side of Liquidity" in 2002. it is clear that approximately 5% of these paper transfers actually relate to a physical delivery. gold may be taken from an account in Zurich and moved to somewhere in Asia. therefore. settlement dates and delivery specifications. moving large volumes of gold from bank vault to bank vault is an expensive inconvenience for the big traders in the gold market. It also provides confidentiality." 66 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. it is not permitted to use the gold in the account for its own purposes. very few transactions end up being settled with the actual movement in physical bullion." He goes on to explain: "Metal accounts enable us to reduce the flows of these physical bars around the world." Given the significance of gold.
lend/swap it or even sell it. to lend a proportion – normally up to a maximum of 25 per cent – of gold held in unallocated accounts. and most commonly used method of holding metal. Since a major reason for investing in gold is protection from financial/economic instability and crises. As a depositor of gold rather than cash. The bank can use this gold as it wishes – keep it in the vault. This is the most convenient. holders of unallocated gold might have even less depositor protection than current/deposit account holders. on the other hand. and the customer has a general entitlement to the metal." There are several important points to understand here: Customers holding unallocated gold are nothing more than unsecured creditors from the banks' perspective. As Paul Tustain of BullionVault has explained: "This means that the 'owner' of unallocated gold in a gold account is more dependent on the financial system's robustness than even the straightforward depositor of cash. The allocated account. the fine metal content of which is then debited to the unallocated account.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market This led to the development of unallocated gold accounts which satisfied the need for convenience for the "professional" gold traders and served the banks' needs in terms of private client holders of gold. but is now part of the working capital of the bank." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. It is no longer the property of the customer. a situation which for many gold buyers would be considered upside down." Will Deighton. If the bank became insolvent. should it choose – while retaining a liability to the account holder. Should the client wish to receive actual metal." According to a World Gold Council study: "For short-term exposures. the holder of unallocated gold would lose some or all their money. this is done by "allocating" specific bars. and this needs a detailed list of weights and assays. cheapest. this seems perverse. 67 . the client in this scenario is an unsecured creditor. from the late 1970s onwards. The gold becomes nothing more than a "liability" for the bank and an "asset" for the customer. The "Code" describes unallocated gold accounts as follows: "The balance of an unallocated account represents the indebtedness between the parties and credit balances on client accounts are backed by the general stock of the bullion dealer with whom the account is held. Head of London Treasury Operations for UBS AG explained: "…an unallocated account is an account where specific bars are not set aside. is an account opened when a customer requires metal to be physically segregated. some bullion dealers and bullion banks holding balances for private-sector customers were willing.
We asked the investor relations departments of two leading UK bullion/commercial banks the following questions: 1 What proportion of gold that you hold for private customers (i. rather than bona fide owners of gold bullion. central bank annual reports do not differentiate between gold that remains within their vaults or is available to them on demand. They are effectively providing (almost) interest-free loans to banks since the banks can lend the gold into the market. We understand that. For many customers. Instead. what level of gold backing do you have for these "unallocated" accounts? One did not reply. With very few exceptions. A problem arises because both the central bank and the new owner of the gold from the spot sale (an Indian bride perhaps?) both now claim ownership of the gold under IMF accounting regulations. If there was ever a time for private investors to ensure that they have allocated gold it is now. especially with regard to private client holders of unallocated gold. It is reasonable to assume that professional traders are fully cognizant of the risks. so I am afraid that I am not going to be able to help. following the run on the Northern Rock bank in the UK.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Aside from this estimate. while the other responded: "I am not sure that there is anything helpful that I can add: there is nothing in our public disclosure that is going to get us close to a meaningful discussion. or possibly not even purchase gold in the first place – just hedge the gold price risk using options – and deploy the depositor's funds in other parts of the business.e. For nearly 30 years. to a greater or lesser extent. we are much less certain about private clients." We weren't surprised by the response because we suspect that this is highly confidential information. the banks are operating in the gold market on a fractional reserve basis. although in the current environment the risks are rising. the balance sheets of the vast majority of central banks show a one-line item: "Gold and gold deposits" 68 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. we cannot find any information regarding how much physical gold is actually held in reserve for unallocated gold accounts. However. dislocation in credit markets and more than US$400trn of outstanding notional value in derivatives. . and gold that has been lent or swapped out and may either be owned by a third party or not immediately available. not central banks or institutions) is held in "Unallocated" rather than "Allocated" accounts? 2 In ballpark terms. massive write-offs at Citibank and Merrill Lynch. this seemed like an attractive offer. IMF – accounting regulations for gold reserves Gold that has been lent or swapped by central banks and bullion is almost always sold into the spot market in a subsequent transaction. banks have encouraged their private clients to hold gold in unallocated form by waiving custody fees. but we suspect that many have failed to understand: The difference between allocated and unallocated gold and their position as unsecured creditors of the bank.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
The bullion/commercial banks do not provide any information on their gold holdings or those of their customers. There are only three central banks which differentiate between gold still in their vaults and leased/swapped gold. These are the Bank for International Settlements (the "central bank for central banks"), the Bank of Portugal and the Swiss National Bank. The BIS had 23.2% of its gold out of the vaults on "deposit" (i.e. leased or swapped) on 31 March 2007, down from 37% the previous year. The Bank of Portugal also reduced the proportion of leased/swapped gold in the year to December 2006 from 20.2% to 4.1% – a significant reduction. The Swiss National Bank reduced its leased/swapped gold slightly from 10.4% at the end of 2005 to 9.3% at the end of 2006. Now these reductions could reflect a change in policy towards mobilising gold, or delivery of gold back from gold mining companies that cancelled hedges during the year. Alternatively, there has been increasing focus on these three central banks because they are the only ones that segregate leased/swapped gold. Hence the reductions could be largely confined to these three banks due to their greater disclosure levels. It is interesting to note that the volume of gold transferred on the LBMA jumped dramatically – by a huge 30% in 2006 versus 2005 – to a daily average of 21.5m oz per day versus 16.5m oz. This would suggest that the volume of loaned/swapped gold needed to provide liquidity to the market would have increased significantly, not fallen. It should also be remembered that balance sheets are only snapshots at one moment in time, i.e. at the financial year end. We cannot be sure whether they reflect the day-to-day reality during the rest of the year. In April 2006 the IMF published a position paper on the accounting of gold swaps/loans, "Treatment of Gold Swaps and Gold Deposits (Loans)" by Hidetoshi Takeda. Takeda outlined how IMF accounting guidelines allowed gold reserves to be double-counted in central bank balance sheets: "The current statistical treatment of gold swaps… results in overstating reserve assets because both the funds received from the gold swap and the gold are included in reserve assets. While the gold is swapped, it cannot be the case that both the claims and the gold are simultaneously liquid and readily available to the monetary authority." And on the subject of gold deposits/loans: "…the monetary authority (may) make gold deposits 'to have their bullion physically deposited with a bullion bank, which may use the gold for trading purposes in world gold markets" and "The ownership of the gold effectively remains with the monetary authorities…" Takeda concluded that IMF regulations should include a clearer description of the treatments of gold swaps and loans to avoid double counting "except when the gold is available on demand": "Swapped gold should be excluded from both reserve assets and IIP (international investment position). This is a logical consequence, and overstating of reserve assets can be avoided."
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
And: "Regarding the statistical treatment of gold deposits/loans… if the deposited/ loaned gold is available upon demand to the monetary authority, it can be included in reserve assets as monetary gold… if the gold is not available upon demand, it should be removed from reserve assets…" The IMF Reserve Assets Technical Experts Group reviewed the paper and agreed that further investigation into the statistical treatment of gold swaps and gold loans was needed, especially with regard to allocated and unallocated gold. It agreed with Takeda's conclusions that gold not available on demand should be excluded from reserve assets and that "gold swaps primarily involve unallocated gold". Takeda prepared a follow-up paper in August 2006, "Treatment of Allocated/ Unallocated Gold held as Reserve Assets and Gold Swaps and Gold Deposits". He noted that: : "There are no explanations on the treatment of gold swaps/deposits that involve unallocated gold." However, he also highlighted the agreements of the IMF Committee on Balance of Payments Statistics (BOPCOM) and the Advisory Expert Group on National Accounts (AEG) that unallocated gold accounts are to be treated as: "…financial assets, namely, deposits in foreign currency…" Given these agreements, he argued that while a central bank's holding of allocated gold would be monetary gold, the holding of unallocated gold: "…would be classified as deposits, rather than monetary gold, even when other criteria for being classified as a reserve asset are met." And he warned that this approach may result in: "…a significant decrease in reported monetary gold, although this would be a one-off effect…" His use of the word "significant" in relation to the amount of gold central banks hold in unallocated form with bullion banks should be noted. He then offered a more palatable alternative, which goes against the BOPCOM/AEG agreements: "…to treat unallocated gold the same way as allocated (physical) gold only for reserve assets. The advantages of this approach could be (i) it keeps the status quo, (ii) frequent changes in recorded gold holdings are avoided if central banks switch between allocated and unallocated accounts, and (iii) the complication by residence (how to treat unallocated gold if the account provider is a resident bank) can be avoided." But as he points out, this creates an asymmetry with both the central bank and the bullion bank showing possession of the gold. To reconcile this, and the inconsistency of gold with and without corresponding claims, he suggests changing the heading of "Monetary gold" in the accounts to "Gold holdings" and separating "Monetary gold", defined as allocated gold, from "Other gold" including "Claims on resident banks" and "Claims on non-resident banks".
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
Takeda then goes on to consider gold swaps in unallocated gold. He makes the point that the decision on their treatment depends on the discussion above, i.e. whether unallocated gold is treated as: Monetary gold: in which case unallocated gold out on swap could either be excluded from reserve assets or included as monetary gold; or Deposits: in which case unallocated gold out on swap could either be excluded from reserve assets or included in reserve assets as deposits. In March 2007, the IMF published its first draft of the new manual that specifies the regulations for central banks' reporting mechanism, the sixth edition of the "Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual" (the "Manual"). This includes the rules for reporting gold holdings. It is likely that these regulations will be finalised in time for central banks' report and accounts from 2008. In Appendix 4, we outline in detail the regulations in the Manual regarding gold reserves. In summary, the draft regulations propose: Ignoring the BOPCOM/AEG recommendation to treat unallocated as deposits. Unallocated gold, if it is available on demand, will be included in monetary gold, when it is technically a deposit. Maintaining the asymmetry in bank reporting with both the central bank and the bullion bank (unallocated account provider) reporting possession of the unallocated gold. In gold swaps, although legal ownership changes for the period of the swap (and the "gold taker" can lend/sell the gold), central banks will still include the gold on their balance sheets. While the proposals are still at the draft stage, it is clear that the IMF is taking the least conservative option in each case. This keeps the status quo and avoids a significant reduction in reported levels of monetary gold in central bank balance sheets and avoids highlighting the embarrassing fact that central bank vaults contain much less gold than the central banks claim. Despite official denials, there has been much controversy in recent years surrounding the question of whether the US has mobilised its gold reserves. The "Status Report on US Treasury-Owned Gold" in August 2000 designated the 1,700 tonnes of gold stored at the West Point depository as "Gold Bullion Reserve". In the September 2000 report, the gold was designated as "Custodial Gold". There was no explanation for the change and, furthermore, there was no change in the designation of the gold reserves at Fort Knox or at the Mint in Denver. Something clearly happened to the West Point gold to warrant the change in description, while the gold in the other depositories remained unchanged. A search on Google defines a custodian as: "A financial institution, such as a brokerage firm, or a bank that holds stock certificates and other assets on the behalf of a mutual fund, corporation or individual." As it implies, custody is normally about looking after something for somebody else. James Turk (founder of GoldMoney) proposes that the West Point gold may have been swapped by the Exchange Stabilisation Fund (ESF) with another central bank, possibly the Bundesbank.
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
ESF Difference Difference in oz of Gold Source: Federal Reserve 1995 11." We also know that the ESF is active in the gold market from the discrepancies between the Federal Reserve's "Gold Stock" on its balance sheet and the "Gold Stock including the Exchange Stabilisation Fund" in its statement on US Reserve Assets.049 -1 -24. This time. In light of the above debate. there was another reclassification of US gold reserves. the terms "Gold Bullion Reserve" and "Custodial Gold" in respect to the gold held at West Point.089 -41 -971. but began to diverge from 1996 onwards – at broadly the same time when the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee (see below) alleges the suppression of the gold price began. This is highlighted in the next table (NB: gold is accounted for at a historic price of US$42.047 11. although some commentators speculate just how "deep" some of this storage might be.050 11.000 1997 11. there was no explanation for the change. The notes to the Treasury's monthly report on US gold reserves describes "Deep Storage" as being that gold which is held in "sealed vaults".046 11. it has always stated that its policy has been not to lend or swap any of its gold. Turk was able to find a reference to ESF swap arrangements with the Bundesbank. although it did not specify whether these involved gold. The differences are likely to represent either long or short positions in gold taken by the ESF.041 5 118. . By swapping gold with another central bank.048 11.000 At 31 December 1995. The US is the world's largest reported holder of gold reserves with 8. Whether this is true or not has been the subject of debate. a significant piece of information was unearthed by James Turk earlier this month relating to a change of wording regarding the US gold reserve back in May this year.050 0 1996 11. the reference to it was removed from subsequent reports from February 2000 onwards (with no explanation). Fort Knox and Denver were all replaced with the description "Deep Storage Gold".000 1999 11. From an FOMC transcript. Hitherto. In 1998 Alan Greenspan made his famous comment: "…central banks stand ready to lease gold in increasing quantities should the price rise.22 per oz by the Federal Reserve): Fig 47: Discrepancies in US gold reserves and the ESF US$m Federal Reserve Audit US Reserve Assets incl. Once again." 72 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.000 1998 11.134 tonnes. the US could have mobilised gold in the major bullion markets in Europe.048 11. After Turk had pointed out the reference to the ESF.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market We know from the following comment from the general counsel of the Federal Reserve and the FOMC that the ESF statute permits gold swaps: "The (ESF) statute is very broadly worded in terms of words like "credit" – it has covered things like gold swaps. In June 2001.050 -3 -71. US gold reserves were identical in both sources.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
He was later asked to clarify this comment by Senator Joseph Lieberman. In a letter he noted: "…the observed willingness of some foreign reserves – not the Federal Reserve – to lease gold in response to price increases." Our view has been that with the largest reported gold reserves and the world's reserve currency, the US had the most to gain from mobilising its gold and was unlikely, therefore, to have stood by while other nations were active in the market. On 8 May 2007, the US Treasury published its international reserve position for 4 May 2007. In "Official US Reserve Assets (in US millions)", gold was listed as: "4. Gold Stock" The following week, the line item for gold in the same report for the US International Reserve Position on 11 May 2007 had changed. The line for gold now read as follows: "(4) Gold (including gold deposits and, if appropriate, gold swapped)" The website addresses of these tables are: www.treas.gov/press/releases/2007581342179779.htm www.treas.gov/press/releases/20075141738291821.htm Since then a further piece of evidence has been unearthed by GATA which suggests that the reason for the US Treasury's change in disclosure was a change in the IMF's accounting rules requiring greater disclosure. This followed the approval of the IMF's revised Fiscal Transparency Code. The following announcement can be found on the IMF's website: "The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved on May 8, 2007 the revised Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency. The Code, a central element in IMF actions to promote transparency and good governance, was initially launched in 1998. It has since underpinned assessments of fiscal transparency in 86 countries under the Standards and Codes initiative." The new code can be found at: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/2007/eng/101907m.pdf In it, the IMF's key recommendations relating to gold are: Financial assets to be reported include cash and cash equivalents; other monetary assets, such as gold and investments; and loans and advances. Additional break-downs should be provided within each category of financial asset (our emphasis). Any special characteristics of financial assets, such as being secured against a debt, or any other restrictions on the use of an asset or the income deriving from it, should be noted as memorandum items (our emphasis again).
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
The change in wording for the gold line item in the US Treasury's Reserve International Position was for 11 May 2007 – just three days after the IMF approval. The timing seems too close to be unrelated. In his Freemarket Gold & Money Report, James Turk's view was: "This description provides clear evidence that the US Gold Reserve is in play. Gold has been removed from US Treasury vaults and placed on deposit, presumably in the couple of bullion banks the Treasury has selected to assist with its gold price capping efforts. Gold placed on deposit gets loaned out by these bullion banks, and then sold into the spot market to try capping the gold price. The same thing happens with swaps, but the vague language in the note to the Treasury reports makes it uncertain whether they are in fact being used at the moment. It is noteworthy that this change of accounting occurred in May. Could it be that the gold cartel had to dip into the US Gold Reserve to accommodate the big gold buybacks of hedge books that Lihir and others completed at that time?" This new evidence provided in the US Treasury report as well as the rising gold price itself suggest to me that we are now witnessing the last scramble by the gold cartel to cap the gold price. It is a vain attempt by them, acting under the instructions of the US Treasury, to make the world think the dollar is worthy of being the world's reserve currency when in fact everyone knows that it is not. "Now all we need to know is how much of the US Gold Reserve has the gold cartel already put at risk? And how much more of the US Gold Reserve will be put at risk before the US Treasury finally acknowledges reality?" While we are hopeful that this will signal a new level of transparency from the US Treasury we still have some reservations: Page 2 of the IMF's code emphasises that it is "voluntary in nature". While the wording of the line item for gold has been changed, at this stage there is no further detail in the US Treasury's data between gold in the vault and gold that has been mobilised. At the end of his piece, James Turk asks an important question – how much of the of the US Gold reserve has been put at risk, i.e. leased/swapped. This question is equally valid for all other central banks.
Intervention in the gold market
"Years of study have convinced me that there is a strong and criminal agenda to illegally suppress the price of gold."
Late Ferdinand Lips (Managing Director of Rothschild Bank, Zurich), 2001
From the horse's mouth
It is worth recounting some quotes from senior officials and government institutions regarding the gold market.
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
Redburn Research
Gold War 12 November 2007
Transparency and intervention in the Gold market
Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, made this (now famous) comment in his testimony to the House Banking Committee in July 1998: "…central banks stand ready to lease gold in increasing quantities should the price rise." Besides the Fed, the US authorities also operate in the markets through the Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF). The ESF has assets of approximately US$38.0bn and is under the exclusive control of the Treasury Secretary and the President, thus largely escaping Congressional oversight. While Treasury officials have denied that the ESF operates in the gold market, the following comment was made in a 1995 FOMC transcript attributed to Virgil Mattingly, the general counsel of the Fed and FOMC: "The (ESF) statute is very broadly worded in terms of words like "credit" – it has covered things like gold swaps." The Reserve Bank of Australia made the following statement in its 2003 annual report: "Foreign currency reserve assets and gold are held primarily to support intervention in the foreign exchange market." In June 2005, the head of the Bank for International Settlements' Economics Department, William R. White, made the following comment in his speech, "Past and Future of Central Bank Cooperation": "…the provision of international credits and joint efforts to influence asset prices (especially gold and foreign exchange) in circumstances where this might be thought useful." In 2006, Axel Weber, President of the Bundesbank, made the following comment: "We have been asked to negotiate with other central banks about potential swaps deals involving gold." One reason for swapping physical gold from a bullion holder is to sell it deliberately into the spot market. Jay Taylor (editor of Gold & Technology Stocks) reported the following quote from Paul Volcker, who was Chairman of the Federal Reserve when gold reached its alltime high of US$850/oz in January 1980. "It was probably a mistake to allow gold to go so high." As Taylor (who helped set up the first gold loan in the US) pointed out: "Not only does that statement presuppose that the US could have controlled the gold price, but it also suggests the establishment's arrogance in assuming they have a right and obligation to do so." In January 2001, James Moffett, Chairman of Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold, the owner of the largest gold mine in the world (Grasberg in Indonesia), said: "The central banks are the OPEC of gold. They will control the price of gold by selling until they change their minds…"
Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.
" Fig 48: Average intra-day move in the gold price 1993-2006 Source: Dimitri Speck In his work." Counter-intuitive moves in the gold price For seasoned gold market observers who apply both critical thinking and a degree of scepticism to the idea that gold trades in a free market.seasonal-charts.com. Dimitri Speck. in contrast to the rest of the time when it is moving upwards. His findings were as follows: "Clearly visible is the price decrease at the time of the London afternoon fixing. but in all they no longer prevent the price from rising.000 days and consolidated them into a single day. which tend to be confined to particular times of the day rather than being evenly distributed. Also conspicuous is that during the American market hours. Speck created a chart for the average minute-to-minute movement in the gold price for approximately 2. The minor lows near the morning fixing as well as the open and close in New York are worth noting. Speck also noted that the "intraday anomaly" had been weakening in recent years. movements in the gold price often seem difficult to explain. Moreover. the intra-day movement in the gold price over long periods is highly suggestive of intervention. the price generally trends sideways. 76 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. argues that the evidence of systematic interventions during 1993-2006 is shown in the unusual movements in the gold price. although the bull market in gold did not mean the interventions were no longer taking place: "They are however not as frequent (and are thus more difficult to prove statistically). . the creator of the website www. they retard the rising trend or lead to temporary pullbacks.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Statistical evidence Besides the statements of central bankers and others.
expressed his own doubts in June 2004 when addressing the LBMA Bullion Market Forum in 2004: "Many have heard of the group of economists who came together in the society known as the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee. This is notwithstanding the intra-day trading patterns highlighted by Dimitri Speck's work and frequent "take-downs" in gold for no apparent reason. data were released on import prices and the trade deficit. Please note the gold price moves reflect the change in the COMEX price in New York from the previous close. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. All were much worse than expected and should have been positive for gold. who has documented the intervention in the gold market (and other financial markets) since 1999. the specific facts included in the lawsuits might have given ground to suspicion that the real forces acting on the gold market are far from those of classic textbooks that explain to students how prices are born in a free market. Wal-Mart's same store sales fell 3. its biggest fall since the company began reporting these figures in 1980..0bn – negative news for the US dollar.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Oleg Mozhaiskov.1%.50/oz to US$667. WalMart.9bn versus consensus of US$63. The world's largest retailer.0% – signalling higher inflation. The trade deficit for March was US$63. We are also grateful to Bill Murphy. 77 .00/oz The Fed had left interest rates unchanged on 9 May and the following day. 10 May 2007 – gold price fell US$15. but the price fell sharply. Chairman of GATA. the Deputy Chairman of the Bank of Russia.3% versus consensus of 1. also published its sales figures for April. Fig 49: Intra-day gold price – 10 May 2007 Source: Kitco In brief: Import prices for March 2007 rose 1.5% versus consensus of 1.." Below we highlight three occasions in recent years where falls in the gold price seemed at odds with economic announcements and world events.
1) The Bank of England raised interest rates 0. the dollar weakened on this news. bearish for the Retail (sector) Index. The COMEX gold price had risen US$1. gold getting pummelled and the US dollar going higher? I better not drop my coffee cup in amazement – it might fall up!!!!" And from Adrian Douglas. Alan Greenspan. bullish for gold.com) to comment: "Isn't it absolutely amazing how we can have a four billion negative miss on the Trade report. which is 15% annualized. Fed Funds was already at its historic low of 1. Bearish for the dollar. In the speech." This prompted Rob Kirby of Kirby Analytics (see www. a US government report showed on Thursday.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market From Reuters that day: "WASHINGTON. At the time.4 percent from February. "So keep your blindfold on and tell me: 1) Did gold go up? 2) Did the dollar go down? 3) Did the Retail Index go down? You would be excused if you answered "yes" to all of the above questions. Bearish for the dollar. bullish for gold. 2) The Trade deficit LEAPT a massive 10% in a single month to almost 64 B$. the answer is "NO" to all the questions.50 before Greenspan started to speak.60 The key event was a speech by Fed Reserve Chairman. .94% and the oil price rose US$35c/bbl. 78 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. surprising Wall Street economists who had expected a more modest expansion.kibyanalytics.9 billion. as higher oil prices helped push total imports to the second highest on record.0% and Greenspan said he was prepared to cut further if needed. bullish for gold. the Commerce Department said.00. The gold price should have risen sharply but instead fell nearly US$6. former oil industry executive and gold market observer on the GATA website: "Here is a game to play.3% in a single month.25% the FED stood pat. The trade gap swelled 10. But take off your blindfold and look at your screen. Bearish for the dollar. down $5. Bearish for the dollar. Not surprisingly. there was a big fall in ten-year bonds as the yield spiked 20bp to 3. May 10 – The US trade deficit widened more than expected in March to $63. he announced that he would keep interest rates low for as long as it took to boost economic growth. Put a blindfold on and listen to the following information. zero reaction in the bond market. import prices higher than expected [inflationary].80. It happens day after day after day. All three asset classes did the EXACT OPPOSITE of what logical economic sense would predict!! Could this just be a one-off aberration? NO! is the right answer again." 15 July 2003 – gold $341. bullish for gold 4) The retail sales decline for April was worse than expected. 3) Import prices rose 1.
3% versus consensus of 0.54m consensus.4%. The Fed's policy making Open Market Committee last month cut the benchmark overnight bank lending rate to a 45-year low of 1 percent and will cut again if growth doesn't pick up. which was in line with the 1. Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said. The Dow Jones fell 115 points. The core rate excluding food and energy was reported at 0. the US$ soared 1.53m." 18 October 2000 – gold price fell US$1. The chart shows how the gold price initially spiked but the move was quickly capped and the price ended lower on the day.5/bbl – all as would be expected.00 from its peak) The main event of the day was the release of the US CPI for September 2000.2%).Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Fig 50: Intra-day gold price – 15 July 2003 Source: Kitco From Bloomberg that day: "July 15 – The US economy is poised to accelerate and the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates low 'for as long as necessary' to ensure that happens.3% increase in September to 1. Fig 51: Intra-day gold price – 18 October 2000 Source: Kitco Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.5% increase was above the consensus of 0.00 (US$3. The 0. 79 .45% versus the Euro and the oil price rose US$0. The data on housing starts showed a 0.2% (and after five consecutive months of 0. Greenspan said in the text of testimony to the House Banking and Financial Services Committee. Chase Bank and IBM also released disappointing earnings.
and following. leased from a European central bank. . There were also strong rumours at the time that LTCM's hedge book was short of at least 300 tonnes of gold.gata. falling below 10. unloaded stocks.668." 80 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.org). and a Labor Department report showing a pick-up in inflation also sent prices falling.38 at 9." The Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee "How anyone believes that gold is not manipulated from time to time is a mystery to me. The drop followed disappointing earnings reports from IBM and Intel. I guess people simply believe what they want to believe. The infamous sale of more than half of the UK gold reserves (415 tonnes) by the Bank of England. The catalyst for the creation of this group of gold market professionals was threefold: The regularity of suspicious movements in the gold price. This was announced in May 1999 and followed the failure of the UK-supported campaign by US Treasury Secretary. The bailout of Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM) following its collapse in 1998. this action was a deliberate and politically motivated attempt to keep the gold price below US$300/oz to protect a number of banks with potentially damaging positions in the gold derivatives market at the time. The manipulation of a free market. spooked by earnings. In GATA's view. commented: "It would be helpful if you were to give us a greater insight into the Treasury involvement. to persuade member nations to sell IMF gold. In a letter to the UK Treasury. These included counter-intuitive price movements in response to the release of "gold-friendly" economic data and the frequency with which the gold price fell in the run-up to. the Dow was down 421. Executive Chairman of Peter Hambro Mining. like gold. Peter Hambro. In the first half hour of trading.000 for the first time in six months as investors.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market From the AP wire service that day: "The Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 400 points in a half hour this morning. The leading organisation in the fight to expose the suppression of the gold market is the Gold AntiTrust Action Committee (see www. or otherwise. GATA was set up by a group of gold market participants in 1999 as a non profit-making Delaware-based corporation. The collapse threatened the whole financial system and the rise in gold prices was quickly capped with the same investment bank selling gold day after day. with the apparent scheme to alleviate the difficulties bullion bankers and brokers caused by injudicious speculation in the precious metals markets by hedge funds and some of our badly advised mining colleagues.33." – Jay Taylor (editor of Gold & Technology Stocks) Gold is supposed to be a free market. oil prices and inflation numbers. given all the evidence provided by the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee… and given the importance of keeping the public believing in paper as money rather than gold. is illegal under US law and contravenes the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. Robert Rubin. The public announcement that the Bank of England would auction off its gold caused the gold price to drop sharply to a low of US$252/oz before it started to recover. the New York market open and ahead of the pm fix in London. which may have been assumed by the banks or the authorities involved in the rescue.
the Bank of England unexpectedly distanced itself from the decision to sell gold almost eight years earlier. Warnings over the risks of losing money from the gold sell-off are understood to be set out in internal correspondence sent by Bank of England officials to the Treasury in 1999. Citigroup Inc.com) and Blanchard is the leading bullion and coin dealer in the US." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market It is worth noting that in April 2007. This is a legal term that essentially meant that there were more appropriate plaintiffs. Several Asian countries. The "Howe suit" was dismissed because the court deemed that Reginald Howe did not have "standing". Neither suit reached a final judgement by the court on the merits of the allegations alone. there are many gold mining companies and private investors in gold (not to mention those central banks with gold reserves) that the plaintiff does not allege to be involved in the conspiracy. Alan Greenspan. JP Morgan & Co Inc." In 2000. Paul O'Neill. Bank of England officials were warned that the proposed auctions would achieve the worst price for taxpayers. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. Chase Manhattan Corp. Lawrence H Summers and in his individual capacity. to the Speaker of the House and each member of the House and Senate Banking Committees in the US. but said they were powerless to influence the Treasury. One suit was dismissed on a technicality and the other was ordered to be settled out of court by the judge.timesonline. were named by an insider as having bought the gold "on the cheap" from the British.goldensextant. GATA presented a document. vs Barrick Gold Corp & JP Morgan Chase & Co (Barrick countersued Blanchard for libel).uk/tol/news/politics/article1654931. A senior bank executive said the timing of the huge bullion sale was "not debated". This report was validated by a statement issued by the Bank of England in which it said the bank had: "…acted solely as agent. And: Blanchard & Co Inc. Deutsche Bank AG. Alan Greenspan and Treasury Officials denied any wrongdoing in reply to questions and the matter was soon dropped by politicians. All of these persons or entities would be more directly injured than the plaintiff by the scheme of a kind he alleges. William J McDonough. However. The officials are understood to have agreed with the analysis.co. two legal suits were subsequently filed in the US: Reginald H Howe vs Bank for International Settlements.ece) that: The Bank of England was never asked for its advice on whether Britain should sell the gold. including China. 81 . Reg Howe is the founder of "The Golden Sextant" website (www. and the decisions were taken by HM Treasury. For example. Secretary of the Treasury. This followed a Sunday Times report (www. "Gold Derivative Banking Crisis". At a meeting with senior gold traders. The judge stated: "…there are many participants in the gold and gold derivatives markets who could allege a more direct injury than does the plaintiff.
A majority of gold market participants told Veneroso that they believed that. Howe and Bolser concluded that gold leased from central banks based on the forwards/swaps data amounted to 13. there are occasions when gold options could lead to the loss of physical gold.org/node/5275. We believe that Barrick's previously announced 'no hedge' policy will assist gold investors and that the environment for gold investors is far more favorable now than it was when we filed the lawsuit. the 23 banks were more important in gold lending than the 14. during 1994 and 1995.700 tonnes.000 tonnes in late-2002. He then learnt that there were another 23 banks taking gold deposits from central banks. All claims in all litigation between the parties have been dismissed with prejudice. Blanchard's responded to the settlement: "We are pleased that our disputes with Barrick have been fully and finally resolved. This meant that gold lending was at least 9. See www. when call options written by a central bank are exercised." Barrick commented: "Barrick Gold Corporation announced today that it is pleased to have reached a settlement of differences with Blanchard & Company. including some major Swiss banks.e. i. 82 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. is broadly equivalent to the aggregate of the notional value of forwards and swaps in the BIS's data on OTC gold derivatives. between one third and one half of the reported total. before a confidential settlement of differences was reached.e. While the majority of gold options may not require leased gold. and Herbert Davies. gold leased/lent out.gata.000 and 15." GATA believes that the amount of gold that central banks claim to have compared with what is actually left in their vaults is between 10. in aggregate. Veneroso concluded the true figure was between 10. Barrick's counter suit for libel was settled with a payment made by Blanchard to Barrick.000 tonnes. Veneroso added 900 tonnes.000 and 15. Evidence and Logical Inference – presentation of gold supply/demand. . The terms of the settlements are confidential. Barrick will not make any payment of damages in connection with the resolution of the Blanchard antitrust case or the Brady and McKenzie class actions.000 tonnes. gold derivatives and gold loans" Veneroso's starting point was two speeches made by the head of the BoE's gold operations. while swaps also involve the simultaneous purchase in the forward market Howe and Bolser excluded any gold lending that might have been the basis for position in OTC gold options. e. or reflect gold included in the forwards/swaps data. Forwards and swaps generally involve a sale of borrowed gold.200 tonnes and from talking to contacts in the bullion banks. Reginald H Howe and Mike Bolser (2002) – "Gold derivatives: moving towards checkmate" The key assumption behind Howe and Bolser's analysis was that the short position in physical gold at the central banks.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market In the "Blanchard suit" the defendants' motion to dismiss was rejected by the judge and the case went to discovery. Smeeton mentioned that gold lending had recently doubled to approximately 3. Terry Smeeton. Notional values are converted into tonnes of gold at the prevailing gold price. i. Inc. This was based on a survey of the 14 principal market makers in London although several of the 14 had not included large gold loans made outside the UK. Three pieces of work were instrumental in establishing this figure and we summarise the finding briefly below: Frank Veneroso (2001) – "Facts.g.
5 778.org/node/4247.000 tonnes of gold were dishoarded in aggregate from the FRBNY and the UK.6 778.7 620.4 79.9 258. therefore.7 1992 309.0 778.1 79. Hong Kong and Perth are also minor hubs in the physical market.2 246.7 373. It is important to understand.9 1. In the short term. Frankfurt.3 245.7 1991 403. The next table shows the sales by five nations from 1990-99.1 911. While outright sales by European central banks under the Washington Agreement continue to be one weapon. either directly by the borrower. While equity and bond markets rose strongly. central banks sold gold in high profile outright selling programmes.com/commentary23. as Reg Howe argued.000 tonnes of gold were mobilized in the US and UK. A number of central banks of industrialised nations decided to sell large quantities of gold during the 1990s. investment interest in gold was almost non-existent and the gold price remained weak.goldensextant.7 244. The GFMS Gold Survey of 1998 stated that: "…the lending of gold to the market.366.7 299. See www.081.8 1.3 1366.8 Source: World Gold Council While some western nations were making outright sales.9 1996 96.366.gata. The gold leasing and swaps market remained fairly small until the early/mid-1990s when it started to grow dramatically. James Turk (2003) – "More Proof" James Turk.3 1997 77.2 982.7 570.2 246.7 634. that gold loans and swaps generally lead to a spot gold sale. Gold sitting in vaults was earning no income.8 623.7 1993 188.3 1.090.1 638. These include gold lending/swaps and options on the OTC markets.8 1. 83 .3 476. more than 7.1 1994 120.5 1995 106. The current gold war In the early 1930s.8 841. or after a series of interconnected transactions.5 1. FDR simply confiscated gold from US citizens – it doesn't get more overt than that. in most cases by a central bank in order to generate a return on its gold holdings results in a physical sale.9 296.0 1998 56." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. Therefore. gold lending and swaps accelerate supply and put downward pressure on the gold price.052.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market See www. Fig 52: Central Bank gold sellers – 1990-98 (tonnes of gold reserves at year end) Country Canada Australia Austria Belgium Netherlands 1990 459. if 7.8 245.6 334. the founder of the GoldMoney website. The next part of Turk's argument is the fact that London and New York are the major centres for price formation in the gold market. prior to the 1999 sale by the Bank of England.html#anchor19855. In the late-1960s and late-1970s. used data on quantities of gold dishoarded by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) and import/export data relating to gold entering and leaving the UK.2 245. others were starting to loan and swap out their gold into the market.0 79.3 940.0 940. Turk argues that it is reasonable to assume that at least a similar amount could have been mobilised from Zurich and other locations.7 578.3 245. He calculated that between 1991-2002. Zurich is the biggest centre for physical gold. more "covert" methods of intervening in the gold market have also been used for more than a decade in the current war.
as the banks hedged their short gold positions. 6 and 12 months. published in January 2006. Somebody is selling something that he doesn't own. if at all. selling what you have borrowed and promised to return is a short sale. If there are 400 million ounces of gold loans. then there are 400 million ounces of gold sold short. that in the short/medium term the impact is clearly negative. with some as long as five years. the cash settlement becomes the call on the loan instead of the return of the gold to reserves… while at the same time staying on the books as gold in reserve. "Gold Market Lending". Bullion banks and central banks roll some loans forward on a continual basis. While some might have trouble accepting this.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market As Ted Butler explained in May 1999 in respect to leasing: "…leasing is the ultimate short sale. 84 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report." Some commentators argue that the impact of gold swaps/leases is neutral since the gold that goes into the market either has to be repurchased at some point in the future. The reality is. No exceptions. so the initial effect is all on the supply side and the "net zero effect" of the trade is delayed. The gold was sold spot and the funds invested in higher-yielding financial assets. Neal Ryan of Blanchard (a US coin and precious metal dealer) explained that: "By lending and swapping gold into the market. however. central banks and private interests (major bullion banks) can have a significant impact on the gold price but. Commercial and investment banks swapped or borrowed more and more gold from the (willing lenders) central banks. With the development of carry trades. The end result was that the spot price of gold came under pressure at the same time that demand for gold in the forward market increased. Every loan. with the specific exception of hedging by gold mining companies. and will only unwind over time. This helped to upset the supply/demand balance and the gold price was generally weak or treading water. and due to the vague accounting allowed on loans and swaps by the IMF for gold reserves." In his report. accelerating short-term supply. gold became an obvious short. So central banks started selling gold during the early/mid-1990s in what was a generally benign economic environment. every forward sale. . every carry trade sale is a short sale. Ryan's are summarised as follows: Gold loans are usually for 3. Some gold loans are settled out via cash transactions. the WGC does not account for this. in essence extending the time that the gold supply stays on the market. pure and simple. or delivered back in the form of newly mined gold from gold mining companies.
In aggregate.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Fig 53: Gold price under pressure during the 1990s 5/11/07 440 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 1990 1991 1992 1993 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 HIGH 423." The GOFO did not exceed LIBOR.com explains: "…an excessive amount of gold selling under gold swaps.000 tonnes by the end of 1999. all things being equal.75 DATASTREAM Source: Datastream Tom Szabo. i.e. As the gold price was driven down towards the cost of production for gold miners. increased.45 19/7/99.25 5/2/90.LAST Source: 27/12/99 287.silveraxis. founder of the website www. 85 . an increasing volume of hedging by the gold miners put even more downward pressure on the spot price as they borrowed and sold gold. the incentive for the miners to hedge the price of their future production.LOW 253. As Szabo goes on to explain: "The outcome was predictable: spot selling of gold drove the gold price down… Not so predictable was the fact that the spread between the Gold Forward Offered rate and LIBOR started to increase… In effect. the Gold Forward Offered rate could not maintain its near parity in the face of so much gold selling in the spot market." Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. the gold miners' hedge book increased to more than 3. because a new source of forward gold on the short side appeared. to sell it forward. Fig 54: Accelerated gold supply from producer hedging (tonnes) 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1993 Source: GFMS Ltd 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 However. however. would eventually result in the Gold Forward Offered rate exceeding LIBOR. while supply and demand became more balanced in the forward market.
As we described above. 6 months. GOFO and the gold lease rate. 12 months in % pa) Source: Kitco The conclusion of the long-term bear market in gold in 1980 was marked by an extended double-bottom in the gold price from late-1999 to early 2001.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Given the relationship between LIBOR. the widening gap between LIBOR and GOFO automatically led to an increase in the lease rate. 3 months. . The first low in gold price occurred with the announcement of the Washington Agreement in September 1999. hitherto only a marginally profitable operation. the spike in the price was quickly capped by central banks lending/swapping more gold into the market. The chart below shows how the lease rate was in the 1-2% range during the late-1990s. Szabo believes that this increased the attractiveness of gold leasing. the clamour to borrow gold to offset short positions in both late-1999 and early 2001 is clearly visible from the spikes in gold lease rates in the chart above.45 19/7/99.75 DATASTREAM Source: Datastream 86 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.LOW 253.LAST Source: 29/12/03 412. Fig 55: Gold lease rates since 1997 (1 month. before the bull market of the last six years began. however. Central banks then increased the amount of leasing.75 5/2/96. Indeed. Fig 56: Gold price bottoming out 1999-01 5/11/07 420 400 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 1996 1997 1998 1999 Gold Bullion U$/Troy Ounce 2000 2001 2002 2003 HIGH 414.
Barrick Gold. Fig 57: Decline in gold producers' hedge book 2001-Q207 (tonnes) 3. in our view. which dramatically reduced real bond yields and.500 2. However. 87 . lending/swapping of gold leads to a spot sale of borrowed gold at the same time as creating gold derivatives. At the same time. which was the world's fifth-largest gold producer at the time. cited above. That said. The attraction of gold vis-à-vis other assets. the highest profile hedger. It also reports triennial data for banks in almost 50 countries. the opportunity cost of holding gold. The Bank for International Settlements reports semi-annual data on the notional value of outstanding OTC derivates.000 tonnes.500 3. We have outlined earlier how. In the same month. for commercial banks in the G10. In February 2000.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market The second bottom in the gold price was related to: The build up of pressure from shareholders and organisations like GATA on the major gold companies to stop excessive hedging. "Gold derivatives: moving towards checkmate". Successful shareholder opposition to hedging and the mistakes made by gold miners hedging in the 1990s should ensure that any renewed acceleration in hedging is unlikely unless the gold price is far higher than it currently is. The chart below shows the trend in outstanding gold derivatives broken down between forwards/swaps and options since the end of 1998.500 1. if at all. including gold. with the New York Times reporting him saying: "As a company. waiting passively for increasing gold prices is not a strategy. Roland Oliphant.000 2." The next chart shows how the total volume (in tonnes) of gold hedged by mining companies has steadily declined since 2001 and now stands at approximately 1. Placer Dome.000 1. the company's President and CEO. which started to increase as the Dow Jones began to decline in early 2000 and continued falling through to March 2003. the amount of gold that is still lent or swapped out of bank vaults to provide liquidity for the gold derivatives market is still substantial. announced that it would no longer hedge any further gold production. in most cases. The most recent semi-annual report was for December 2006. defended the company's ongoing hedging strategy.000 500 0 2001 Source: GFMS Ltd 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Q207 The closing out/delivery into hedge programmes has been one of the supporting factors in driving the gold bull market. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. therefore. the aggressive rate cuts by Alan Greenspan led to a sharp decline in real US yields. This was the basis of Reg Howe's report. said that it would reduce the proportion of gold hedged in future and also bought some gold call options.
88 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. the next chart shows an estimate. we have also added 5% of the outstanding options value in the semi-annual data.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Fig 58: Gold derivatives – outstanding notional value (US$bn) 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 12/98 6/99 12/99 6/00 12/00 6/01 12/01 6/02 12/02 6/03 12/03 6/04 12/04 6/05 12/05 6/06 12/06 Forwards & Swaps Source: BIS Options The value of outstanding derivatives has increased substantially from US$175bn to US$463bn at the end of 2006. . While some central banks write call options against a portion of their gold and some gold sales may have been covered by option contracts. using Reg Howe's methodology. in the case of forwards and swaps. for the amount of gold that has left bank vaults and been sold to provide the derivatives market with liquidity. However. Reg Howe argues: "…the best approximation of the total net short physical position in gold arising largely as the result of gold lending in one form or another by central banks is the total notional value of gold forwards and swaps as reported by the Bank for International Settlements and converted into tonnes. has declined. On this basis. the outstanding value of swaps and forwards was 21% higher than the narrower semi-annual survey on the same reporting data (we note that it had been 50-60% higher in previous surveys). In his report." Basically. given the rise in the gold price. Howe divides the value of outstanding forwards and swaps by the gold price at the reporting data and converts the ounces into tonnes. In estimating the volume of gold lent/borrowed from bank vaults and sold to provide liquidity for the gold derivatives market. At the time of the last BIS triennial survey in June 2004. we have added 21% to the semi-annual data for forwards and swaps since June 2004. the volume of gold relating to these derivatives has increased more modestly and.
i. Therefore.000 12. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.000 tonnes. 89 . it is now.000 tonnes by the end of last year. We asked our London gold market source what proportion of gold lending and swaps transaction results in a spot sale of gold.000 tonnes. the shortfall could indeed be 10. This would cut the above estimate of 9. bank. he believes the correct figure is about 80%. Furthermore. the gold market operates on a fractional reserve basis.000 8. this is not the full story.000 4.000 tonnes in mid-2004 to 9. the quantity of gold that has been lent or swapped out of central bank vaults may have declined from 13. Outside of "professional" gold traders and gold bankers. where physical gold is deliberately set aside in their name. using the Howe methodology. If there was ever a time for investors to ensure they have allocated gold.000-15.500 tonnes – still about one quarter of total reported central bank gold holdings of 30.000 tonnes to more like 7000-7. but also relates to unallocated gold accounts at bullion banks. However.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Transparency and intervention in the Gold market Fig 59: Estimate of gold lent/swapped from bank vaults (tonnes) 14.000 10. The only difference being that this gold is not just gold from central bank vaults.e. as we highlighted earlier. Rather than the 100% used in the estimate above.000 0 6/04 Source: BIS. in line with the Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee's claims. most people don't realise that gold trading is largely done "loco London" in unallocated gold. Redburn Partners estimates 12/04 6/05 12/05 6/06 12/06 On this basis. gold trader and private individual demanded physical delivery of the gold bullion they have a claim to.000 6. if every central bank. many private clients have been encouraged to hold gold in unallocated form also. which is nothing more than an unsecured claim on a general pool of gold in a bullion bank.000 2.
019 179.80 789.626 300.612 250.956 449.455 125.675 34.056 -76.395 27.8 35.38 0.90 7.604 776.0% 13.821 134.000 446.747 -41.350 1.38 0.499 1.000 -4.000 442.Summary (US$m) Net Goodwill Other Inangible Assets Tangible Fixed Assets Capitalised Expln.003 -16.774 0 0 0 0 0 0 697 0 0 0 0 0 0 -38.773 112% 4.2 81.286 280.7 0.60 0.757 26.163 137.Dec (Inc) in Inventories .1 4.581 13.3 19.000 7.189.155 -60.4 9.40 2.0% -5.3 422.90 7.305 645.0 837.793 1.993 1.433 34.763 1.17 1.4 280.90 7. Consolidated Sales Chg % Net Op.053 -213.556 30.8 6.603 1.465 61.403 213.879 641.9% 2.2 5.830 668.463 0 0 0 0 0 0 -3.000 571 198.9 1.518 48.375 107.000 137.2 81.426 220.332.908 14.000 -118.104 49.3 46.009 906.303 -67.067 456.Change in Receivables .000 -35.392 760.3 3.782 -1.Change in Payables Operating Cash Flow Inv.988 919.316 1.90 2.200 1.729 -4.849 -8.504 204. Income before Taxes Taxation Tax Rate Minority interests Net Income Adj.908 -44.101 -54.0% 16.053 323.612.053 0 3.551 -5.17 5.565 356.427 -43.844 5.5 80.773 456.827 34.004 852.389 30.000 -22.956 7.067 15.500 120.359 89.6 1.000 -72.836 -143.239 27.5 987.204 -44.560 45.227 157.4 4.775 611.500 7.000 -243 0 0 0 0 0 0 17.1 15.684 15.074 315.496 0 971.339 -120.365 816.000 -40.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices Appendices Appendix 1 – Peter Hambro Mining: financial summary Fig 60: Peter Hambro Mining – summary of financial model Profit & Loss Account .000 40.653 328.197 185.354 220.845 0 0 0 0 0 0 206.518 59.1 32.053 243.Other Items Tax Paid Interest Received Interest Paid Other Items Change in Working Capital .000 1.2 81.715 11.000 -90.481 1.0 1.000 -24.00 2008E 356.5% 3.8 6.104 -49.807 19.0 0.000 12.938 71.518 9.511.177 26.238 9.775 719.589 407.470 391.Spend on R&D/Mineral Properties .807 501% -108.125 -27.737 40.560 65% -166.335 -32.359 43.000 5.460 -222.656 154.Exchange Differences .Sale of PPE .4 0.523 157.000 -130.009 906.604 24.500 8.673 121.259 53% 81.085.000 -13 0 0 0 0 0 0 -13.657 173.053 327.940 852.1 3.38 0.875 7.492 -45.681 104.922 -14.3 304.000 -112. .000 10.700 23.000 -30.763 1.300.9 4.8 35.08 34.224 0 0 0 0 0 0 761 0 0 0 0 0 0 3.544 28.000 -20.125 770.102 11.417 789.Purchase of PPE .903 -85. JVs & Assoc) Share of JV & Assoc.498 7.0 151.962.740 327. JVs Joint Ventures Group Turnover 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E 44.397 2.617 -158.358 18.000 7.3 0.281.493 285.70 5.2 7.658 0 8.0 Net Debt EV 114. .80 3.689 -49.0% -4.000 -36.420 39.191 0 0 0 0 0 0 13.701 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 463.0 945.303 39.122 41.499 1.000 3.8 35.325 1.252 -194.876 -21.006.253 4.053 44.000 3.60 0.456 25.978 2.855 55.493 446.0 0.783 228.840 9.822 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -6.000 9.71 2.555 782.349.000 10.681.000 -158.769 -16.890 346.911 -189.430 0 45.000 149.386 -12.4 900 873 189.398.800 7.565 328.989 32.499 1.7 4.0 201.000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4.000 -40.204 44.350 111% 81.053 223. in Fixed Assets .330 808.200 9.000 -180.967 1.611 446. etc .000 337.000 40.000 -31.80 3.2 0.0 218.000 -125.416 -16.209 8.6 56.657 544 20.876 161.2 6.556 1038% 79.500 -11.481 1.863 370.787 0 161.310 154.301 28.Other Issue of Ord.558 0 49.022 998.8 35.0 0.297.293 620.989 Valuation: Share Price (£) US$/£ Share Price/Valuation ($) PER Gross Yield EV/Sales EV/EBITDA Price Mkt Cap 16.555 782.332.000 -112.735 30.8 280.604 776.822 14.500 2. Net Change in Financing .24 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E Balance Sheet .578 0 157.658 91.940 176.203.557 724.000 0 328.857 229.164 164.0 380.80 3.409 11.972 1.25 928.0 0.691 288.303 -39.741 290 3.840 11.046 194 -24.227 177.365 -9.0% -8.034 -19.964 -182.005 -27.034 150.20 607.875 31.60 0. Joint Ventures Other Non-CA Total Fixed Assets Inventories Trade Receivables Other Receivables Cash & Securities Current Assets Total Assets Debt less than One Year Trade Payables Other Payables Current Liabilities Debt More than One Year Other Liabilities Provision for Closure Costs Deferred Tax Provision Other Minority Interests Shareholders' Funds Liabilities more than One Yr Total Liabilities Net Debt Summary: Total Debt Cash & Securities Net Debt/(Cash) 2006 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E 10.014 938 3.750 8.2 4.396 328.972 30. Operating Profit (Subsids) Chg % Share of Profit of JVs Profit on Disposals Other Income Operating Profit (Group) Net Interest Result Income before Taxes Adj.065.069 308.664 544.426 198.998 155.3 139.000 8.397 328.583 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -30 0 0 0 0 0 0 -105.379 0 76.000 -65.8 35.971 30.000 3.825 30.604 494.000 122.092 -13.581 419.656 114.71 6.657 264.000 -40.433 435.773 161.425 -24.102 580.490 -443.928 30% 81.4 5.000 45.500 1.2 0.368 -101.160. Shares Dividends Paid to PHM S/hs Net Change in Secs for Trading 2006 2007E 2008E 2009E 2010E 2011E 2012E Other 2006 Gold Production: Pokrovskiy Amur NE Assets Rudnoye JV Omchak JV Pioneer Malomir Pokrovskiy Flanks Yamal Total Gold Production Average Gold Price (US$/oz.844 48.2 0.2 1.478 -35.777 2.447 -113. of Mineral Properites.38 0.5% -801 30.523 -456.085.379 6.Other Sale of Fixed Assets .946 38.4 5.17 5.637 45.0 0.494 278.598 -44.300.403 61.000 -65.000 -2.5 0.289 45.761 68.639 -27.769 928.046.750 39.922 231.2 81.000 0 0 0 0 818.866 282.000 -2.989 -34.9 0.27 1.398.000 115.0 0.931 596.000 14.902 -101.050 1.601 31.053 -684.860 21.559 105.344 9.249 1253% 480 0 0 49.349.470 Cash Flow Statement .878 9.470 63.769 -278.523 37.204 -7.000 -20.209 -421.Loss (Gain) on Disposals .6% -922 48.994 13.3% 2.836 684.481 76.1 6.772 -13.585 103.000 -40.135 0 0 165.417 -236.904 7.777 2.Change in Interest-Bearing Liabs .917 920.631 30.0 261.3 383.0% -7.3 332.000 11.681 90.3 7.548 180.022 1.984 45.438 143.948 30.984 60% 81.7 0.967 1.149 -21.984 324.2 4.987 2.461 -17.203.3 604 586 217.0 0.978 -107.158 -145.000 0 0 -80.820 455.775 611.000 -130.960 1.325 1.000 85.6 0.6% 2.768.261 314.885 216.046.704 17.004 818.882.27 0.964 793.791 180.000 5.80 1.053 -264.0 0.000 114.449 351.8 0.000 -18.675 71.984 34.993 419.306.511 49.2 81.848 315.60 0.009 906.00 2007E 220.580 852.Other Loans Granted Loans Repaid Acquisition of Subsidiaries Disposal of Subsidiaries Other Items Cash Flows from Inv.993 -923.000 5.686 261.763 1.350 103.022 10.000 -85.172 10.286 -21.425 138.092 45.022 1.053 -971.800 -13.8 6.000 -500 0 0 0 0 6.3 296.581 36% 81.6 700 685 193.651 632.000 0 0 -80.247.984 48.8 10.756 460.) Divisional: Gold Mining Construction/Services Exploration Corporate Total excl.497 310.425 3. Net Income Chg % No.641 20.908 -16.000 25.612.070 0 0 77.745 -12.Summary (US$m) Operating Profit (Subsids & JVs) Non-Cash Adj.439 14.237 -86.1 35.500 7.067 182% 34% 28% 48% 6.000 -125.805 0 0 0 0 0 76.984 149% 28% 15% 29% -361.845 135.Amort.485 2.110 17.) Realised Gold Price (US$/oz.005 912. & Devel.424 198.990 4.412 1.27 1.3 4.712 1.6 5.0 283.000 3.000 10.000 -10.372 0 0 0 0 0 0 -9.053 -154.Summary (US$m) Sales (incl.928 544. of Shares No.000 105.71 6.876 71.17 5.132 1.0 3.Depreciation .398 54.000 3.763 71.053 -391.502 15.997 212.868 -5.2 3.8 6.27 1.0% -1.8 6.0 0.168 34.247. of Shares Diluted Rep EPS Rep EPS (diluted) Adj EPS Adj EPS (diluted) Dividend 2006 177.478 1.565 40.000 3.8 35.3 1.496 27.000 3.069 198% 81.0 Source: Redburn Partners 90 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.421 6.249 49.817 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2.000 -158.559 46.493 -133.8 6.11 2.490 1.630 35.6 0.476 308.560 27.8 6.400 30.829 56.908 149.348 235.992 494. Costs (Subsids) Impairment Charges Operating Profit (Subsids) Adj.010 912.247 -435.583 248.481 55% 1.5 8.972 1.000 19.917 0 0 0 0 456.860 26% -122.2 81.696 23.444 820.775 611.784 67.546 302.964 607.603 1.2 975.160 336.71 6.259 641.4 4.555 782.088 1.006.436 11.7% 8.703.000 -180.
In brief. It is homogeneous. divisible and durable. even more so since the last vestiges of a quasi gold standard were abolished with the collapse of the Bretton Woods system in 1971). The US must contract its money supply or it will eventually lose all of its gold. 91 . It is accumulated rather than consumed. Under the Bretton Woods agreement of 1944. The opponents of a gold standard. this made sense as the US was relatively untouched in contrast to the economic destruction suffered by the other leading nations during World War II. mainly governments and economists (except for the Austrian School). To begin with. production averages approximately 2% pa at most.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices Appendix 2 – Gold and a sound monetary system Gold is able to perform the role of the ultimate form of money due to the following attributes: It has a high intrinsic value per unit of volume. This means that exchange rates between different currencies are fixed and the system provides an automatic adjustment that prevents nations from inflating their currencies and maintains equilibrium in the balance of payments. It is traded in a continuous market on a global basis. The period of the Classical Gold Standard is generally held as being from 1815 to 1914. the US dollar was made the world's reserve currency. argue that it provides insufficient flexibility for increasing the money supply. governments agree to redeem their currency in gold. Indeed. For example. Since the era of the Classical Gold Standard was brought to an end with the onset of World War One (and. Other currencies were fixed to the value of the US dollar. It cannot be debased. This puts downward pressure on prices and incomes. we have lived in an environment of vast credit/debt expansion of unbacked currencies. The balance of payments deficit created is then paid for by other nations cashing in their US dollars for gold. under a "classical" gold standard. which was redeemable in gold at US$35/oz. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. reverses the trade deficit and the gold flow and equalises prices. It is the only financial medium of exchange that is not a third-party's liability. when governments came off the gold standard due to the need to print money to finance the First World War. in contrast to the unchecked creation of fiat currency by central banks. the US economy accounted for 45% of world industrial production at the end of the war and the US owned approximately one-third of the combined gold reserves of the world's central banks. if the US prints too many dollars: Incomes and domestic prices rise which discourages exports and draws in imports. This did not have to be the case had governments adhered to the financial discipline that comes with adoption of the gold standard.
" Speech by Congressman. When the legislation was introduced. Although most Representatives had no prior knowledge of it. they had been prevented from profiting from their foresight. This failed with the collapse of the London Gold Pool in 1968 (see below). a bill whose author is unknown. Therefore. Roosevelt declared a Bank Holiday and confiscated gold from US citizens under the Emergency Banking Relief Act by issuing Presidential Executive Order 6102. and that all such coin.. realizing the fears that had led to American citizens hoarding gold in the first place. and that appropriate measures must be taken immediately to protect the interests of our people. . Mr. and well-being of the United States. Those deposits were deposits of gold values. One Congressman stated for the record that the House had approved a bill "that Members never read and never saw. of Pennsylvania on the floor of the House of Representatives in 1934: "By his action in closing the banks of the United States.00/oz. pursuant to the above authority. I herby proclaim that such gold and silver holdings are prohibited. in the legal tender of the Government". the House Majority Leader Joseph W Burns requested that debate be limited to 40 minutes. This was his first "official" act on becoming President.. It is the money of slaves. The three gold wars from 1933-80 1933 – The Great Depression In November 1932. or lawful money.67/oz to US$35. That the continued private hoarding of gold and silver by subjects of the United States poses a grave threat to the peace. during the Great Depression. US citizens began moving their assets into gold and even move some of that gold out of the country. Roosevelt seized the gold value of 40 billions or more of bank deposits in the United States banks." After Roosevelt had confiscated the gold. Unfortunately. The President stated: "I as President. In April 1933. Concerned that the high cost of Roosevelt's New Deal programmes would lead to big deficits and undermine the value of the US dollar. Louis T McFadden. the gold in the banks of this country belongs to the American people who have paper money contracts for it in the form of national currency.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices The flaw in Bretton Woods was that its stability depended on the US exercising sufficient discipline to maintain the value of the US dollar at US$35/oz. By his action he has rendered them payable to the depositors in paper only. do declare that the national emergency still exists. F. 92 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. equal justice. he proceeded to devalue the US dollar from US$20. the Emergency Banking Act was passed in less than one day. If the Fed cannot keep their contracts with United States citizens to redeem their paper money in gold. not of free men.D. Roosevelt was elected US President on the back of his plan for a "New Deal". Chairman. then the Fed must be taken over by the United States Government and their officers must be put on trial… Now comes Roosevelt who seeks to render the money of the United States worthless by unlawfully declaring that it may no longer be converted into gold at the will of the holder. bullion or other possessions of gold and silver be tendered within fourteen days to agents of the Government of the United States for compensation at the official price.
General de Gaulle. What base? In truth. closed the London gold market "on the request of the United States". the London Gold Pool lost 100 tonnes of gold. the Bank of England and seven other European central banks created the London Gold Pool.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices 1961-71 – the London Gold Pool and the collapse of Bretton Woods In the late 1950s. famously advised by the economist. In January 1961. the Pool lost more than 400 tonnes of gold. Indeed. compared with 5 tonnes on a normal day. The London gold market remained shut for two weeks and the London Gold Pool was abandoned. William McChesney Martin.00 at the end of 1974. Early in the same year. notably France. Yes. The French leader. the withdrawal from the Pool by France in the same year and the escalation of the Vietnam War in 1968 combined to overwhelm the London Gold Pool. Federal Reserve Chairman. the Federal Reserve. which is held eternally and universally…" On Friday. During that period. which is made indifferently into bars. had opposed Bretton Woods since it established the dollar as the world's reserve currency. any standard. inflation rates in the US rose from 4. The devaluation of Sterling in 1967. On the Thursday night.381 tonnes of gold (36% of its total gold reserves) and the UK 869 tonnes (43% of reserves) in this venture. which does not have any nationality. The role of France in its breakdown is particularly interesting. US Treasury and the runaway inflation of the 1970s In 1973-74. one does not see how in this respect it can have any criterion. Jacques Rueff) increased their gold reserves by 2. the US began to run deficits which ballooned during the middle of the decade with the Vietnam War. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. 1976-80 – the IMF. 93 . In 1965 he outlined his views on gold and reserve currencies in a celebrated speech: "We hold as necessary that international exchange be established… on an indisputable monetary base that does not carry the mark of any particular country. De Gaulle. The US authorities airlifted several cargoes of gold to London. gold. The London Gold Pool proved to be a doomed effort at market manipulation. which does not change in nature. These countries were two of the largest US creditors at the time. gold continued to trade in Zurich and Paris.00/oz. these central banks sold gold in a doomed effort to maintain the US$/gold peg at US$35 per oz of gold and save the Bretton Woods (quasigold standard) system. President Eisenhower extended a ban on US citizens owning gold not just in the US but anywhere in the world. declared his intention to defend the dollar's value "down to the last ingot". the gold price in London surged to US$40/oz until the UK Treasury issued a statement supporting gold sales by the Bank of England to maintain the peg.4% in Q374. The price of gold surged by 200% from US$64. Some nations broke ranks. in October 1960.770 tonnes (not a bad trade) and Germany by almost 800 tonnes.75 in January 1973 to US$193. ingots and coins.8% in Q173 to a peak of 12. other than gold. Roy Jenkins. rising to US$44/oz. This threatened the ability of the US to keep gold pegged at US$35. Two days later. Pooling their gold reserves. but on Wednesday and Thursday of the following week. 8 March 1968. The US lost 5. Other Western nations suffered similar spikes in inflation. the Queen declared a Bank Holiday for the following day and Chancellor of the Exchequer.
gold and real estate. Key event – collapse in stock market and real estate which leads to: Winter – deflation and debt purged from the system 94 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. the US Treasury conducted a series of gold auctions which amounted in total to 17. but failed to stop the gold price reaching its all-time high of US$850/oz in January 1980. Inflation and interest rates begin to pick up from low levels. This was followed up by a further 0. Inflation and commodity prices begin a prolonged decline. but remain benign. Key event – war which leads to: Summer – inflation out of control while debt continues to increase There is usually a war. bottom in stock market and recession which leads to: Autumn ("the plateau") – disinflation and massive debt increase Good economic growth and surging asset markets driven by debt. In aggregate. of which 25m oz (778 tonnes) were sold in a series of auctions between June 1976 and May 1980.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices In December 1974. Commodity prices and inflation surge while stocks enter a bear market. Outperforming asset classes: stocks and real estate. one of the US Treasury auctions actually positively contributed to the gold price breaking through US$400/oz.0m oz (530 tonnes). The announcement of the first US Treasury sale was particularly interesting as it immediately preceded President Ford returning the right of US citizens (like those elsewhere in the world) to own gold from 1 January 1975 – for the first time since FDR abolished this right in 1934. In August 1975. Indeed.0m oz (62 tonnes) which took place via auction in January 1975. the US Treasury announced the first gold sale of 2. the IMF adopted a similar strategy.550 tonnes) of gold. . was sold in the form of restitution to its members at the (then) "official" price of SDR (Special Drawing Rights) 35/oz. Shortly after the US Treasury began to sell gold. Appendix 3 – Kondratieff Cycle summarised In summary.308 tonnes) of gold. it announced the sale of 50m oz (1. the characteristics of each season and the key event signalling the onset of the next season are: Spring – inflation and debt rise slowly Economic growth gradually recovers. This was the auction in August 1979 when Germany's Dresdner Bank bid for the entire allocation. the US Treasury and IMF auctions totalled 42m oz (1. The other 25m oz. During 1975 and 1978-79. Outperforming asset classes: all financial assets such as stocks. Outperforming asset classes: commodities.5m oz sale in June 1975. bonds and real estate (mortgages) experience debt-driven bubbles. Key event – peaks in interest rates and commodity prices (including gold).
However. Proponents of the theory. rather than endogenous. currency crises and bankruptcies. the results too vivid to ignore". John Maynard Keynes. The market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression vindicated Kondratieff. Deflation and extremely low interest rates. He was also criticised for his under-use of mathematics and his sometimes approximate choice of turning points. "Business Cycles". In 1939 he published his major work. which provided detailed empirical evidence backing up the existence of three long waves since the late 18th century just as Kondratieff had suggested. had predicted that stock market crashes were confined to history. It was easy to point out that some of the series tracked by Kondratieff did not conform to the long-wave cycle. The biggest criticism. (Our emphasis) Further support for Kondratieff's theory was his clash with Keynes' theories in the 1920s. however. Appendix 4 – Criticism of Kondratieff Kondratieff's work attracted a lot of criticism and not just from his socialist colleagues in Russia. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. James Schuman and David Rosenau writing in 1972 commented: "It may seem that the long wave cycle in prices has gone undetected.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices Economic/financial collapse with banking. 95 . in a roundabout fashion. When he published his work. Buy: gold. 10 of the 21 production and consumption series he selected failed to conform to the cycle at all. however. The opinion of most economists was that capitalist cycles had exogenous. For example. was not that long cycles didn't exist.10: "Financial assets consist of claims and the gold bullion component of monetary gold" "Gold bullion included in monetary gold is the only financial asset that is not a claim… (The unallocated gold part of monetary gold does have a counterpart claim)". Chapter 5: Classification of financial assets and liabilities Paragraph 5. Kondratieff's biggest supporter. Actually. this is not the case. But the facts pointing to the existence of the long wave are too consistent. have been ignored. he disagreed with the conclusion that these long waves existed could be reached using Kondratieff's data. More recently. causes. Kondratieff identified the rising phase in the third cycle from 1890-96 to 1914-21 and cautioned that this would eventually lead towards a depression. of Harvard University. This was a very controversial view at the time since share prices continued to rise until 1929: a proponent of government intervention. the economists. was the economist. Joseph Schumpter. but their ability to repeat within fairly narrowly defined time intervals. Treasury bonds and hold cash. Appendix 5 – IMF: proposed new regulations for gold reserves Below we highlight the sections of the IMF's new "Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Manual" that relate to the reporting of gold reserves by central banks.
" Redburn conclusion: despite being technically "deposits". Redburn conclusion: Allocated and unallocated gold. sell. However unallocated gold accounts held by the monetary authorities for reserves purposes are included in monetary gold (see paragraph 6.80: "A forward contract (forward) is an unconditional contract by which two counterparties agree to exchange a specified quantity of an underlying item… Forwards include futures and swaps (other than gold swaps. and securities lending. To qualify as reserve assets.69: "Allocated and unallocated gold accounts 5….and buy-backs.68). They include securities repurchase agreements (repos).Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices Redburn conclusion: monetary gold includes both gold bullion (which is not a claim) and unallocated gold (which is a claim). Paragraph 5." 5 Such deposits (i. gold accounts must be available upon demand to the monetary authorities. . Chapter 6: Functional categories Paragraph 6.56: "Reverse transactions are arrangements that involve a change of legal ownership of securities or gold with a commitment to repurchase the same or similar securities or gold on a specified date or with open maturity. unallocated gold) are sometimes known as "gold on loan" or "gold deposits". which have the same nature as securities repurchase agreements. The impression from Paragraph 6. Back to Chapter 5: Paragraph 5. Accordingly. providing they are available on demand. " 96 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. there is considered to be no change of economic ownership of the security or gold.56). qualify as reserve assets. It comprises gold bullion (including gold bullion held in allocated gold accounts) and unallocated gold accounts with non-residents that give title to claim the delivery of gold." Chapter 7: International investment position Paragraph 7. The commitment to reverse the change in legal ownership in the future at a fixed price means that the original owner retains the risks and benefits of changes in the price of the asset. gold swaps. as discussed in paragraph 7.38: "Unallocated accounts for precious metals are also deposits.e. unallocated gold is included in the monetary gold line of the accounts. This seems to contradict the BOPCOM/AEG agreement to treat unallocated gold as deposits.69 is that gold loans/deposits generally involve unallocated gold." Paragraph 6.68: Classification of reserve assets "Monetary gold is gold to which the monetary authorities (or by others who are subject to the effective control of the monetary authorities) have title and is held as reserve assets.
a gold swap for cash is treated as being a loan with the gold as collateral and there is no change in economic ownership of the gold. "The Rise and Fall of Great Powers" (1987). Below we have summarised some of the key elements of the rise and fall of global powers over a period of three K-Cycles according to the views of Beckman. The prospects of a recession are seen as a nightmare as the memory of the first depression lingers (the US today). Modelski and Thompson (1996) also tie in global leadership with K-Cycles." Our conclusion: Even though ownership of the gold is transferred for the period of the swap. commenting on the rise to world supremacy and subsequent decline to a second rate power. This government intervention increases longer-term inflationary pressures and hampers economic advance. company bailouts. In its heyday. notes that: "…the world supremacy cycle for an individual country lasts from 150-200 years. US after WWII). This is usually the most devastating the nation will experience (Great Depression in the 1930s). In their work. Medicare. e. Perhaps the best known is Paul Kennedy in his book. Second long wave – "golden period of hegemony" World power consolidates its position with a widening of its sphere of political influence and power (US post WWII). rising deficits. Beckman. at least initially (benign hegemony. Appendix 6 – how monetary inflation and world supremacy are inexorably linked Many authors have analysed the rise and fall of empires. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report.g. LTCM. eventually leading to a severe depression. 97 . as does Robert Beckman in his book "Into the Upwave". The new power slowly acquires overseas interests/commitments that need protecting." Thus the "hegemonic cycle" (or "long cycle of global politics") can generally be placed within the framework of three K-Cycles. Hardship experienced during the first depression and greater social conscience leads to provision of social welfare safety nets.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices Paragraph 7. etc (e.57: "Analogously to repos. Kennedy and Modelski and Thompson: First long wave – ascendancy Transfer of world supremacy from declining world power to rising world power is completed (US overtakes UK after WWI). but is initially affordable given economic supremacy. It becomes increasingly profligate in its monetary policy. etc). the world power promotes trade liberalisation and gains from increased economic activity. Military spending increases to meet these needs.g. the central banks can account for it as though they still have ownership. This is the "golden era" of world supremacy as most of the population experiences greater affluence" (US in the 1950-90s).
the US would have ordinarily gone into a K-Winter following the TMT stock market crash in 2000. the dramatic monetary stimulus provided by Fed Chairman Greenspan averted a deflationary recession and acted as the catalyst for more credit/debt-driven asset bubbles. Paul Kennedy coined the phrase "imperial overstretch" to represent the stage when a great power's financial situation becomes stretched from the high costs of "regulating" the world and fighting wars. Third long wave – decline Growth rate declines.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 Appendices The nation becomes complacent and political leaders assume that global supremacy can be maintained. The high costs of social welfare and military operations lead to huge government deficits and an increasingly stretched financial position. In our view. is that it becomes more aggressive and less rational in its geo-political strategy. . identified by Kennedy. US hegemony was unequivocal. real estate and bonds at first. Fear of deflation prevents offsetting tax increases. Deficits built up during the second wave are never fully reduced as society avoids outright liquidation. The depression at the end of the second wave is usually less devastating than at the end of the first (given the extreme distortions in the US economy. Eventually the policy of trade liberalisation means that other economies also begin to prosper. However. Consequently. World supremacy is lost to a rival during the third long wave. Government has to print money on a massive scale to finance deficits resulting in a surge in inflation and debasement of the currency. followed later by a rejuvenated stock market. Financial capital which supported the second phase of the cycle is not forthcoming. Unusually. e. Relative decline continues although depressions for the former world power become less severe. the US political leadership then turned inward and the European powers rebuilt their economies and military capabilities in the run-up to the Second World War. we wonder whether the next depression for the US will be even more devastating than the Great Depression). After that conflict. A further characteristic of a great power whose strength is waning. 98 Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. The US effectively rose to the position of global hegemon in the period following the First World War when the European powers had exhausted themselves. thereby eroding its relative economic strength. we can characterise US "ascendancy" as occurring in the K-Cycle from 1890-1948 and its "golden period" in the current (albeit distorted) K-Cycle.g.
that is subject to change without notice. and its research analysts. rights or warrants to purchase any of the securities of the issuers whose securities are discussed in this report. have not received. Redburn Partners LLP is a correspondent of Redburn Partners (USA) LP. Redburn Partners LLP.Redburn Research Gold War 12 November 2007 REGULATORY STATEMENT This report has been issued by Redburn Partners LLP ('Redburn'). as principal. to sell. officers or employees makes any representations as to its accuracy or completeness. forecasts or estimates herein constitute a judgement. nor any of its officers. Redburn may have disseminated information contained in this report prior to its publication. and do not stand ready to buy from or sell to any customers. Redburn Partners (USA) LP and its affiliates: do not own any class of equity securities issued by any of the companies discussed in this report. any securities or any derivative instruments or any other rights pertaining thereto. Notice for US recipients This report is not intended for use or distribution to US corporations that do not meet the definition of a major US institutional investor in the United States or for use by any citizen or resident of the United States. as at the date of this report. own options. or buy. make a market in any securities. 99 . regulated by the Financial Services Authority and is intended for use by professional and business investors only.S. Important Note: See Regulatory Statement on page 99 of this report. of any public offering of securities issued by any of the companies discussed in this report. persons receiving this report and wishing to buy or sell the securities discussed herein should do so through a representative of Redburn Partners (USA) LP. © Copyright 2007. Neither Redburn Partners LLP. or solicitation of an offer. It is solely for the information of the addressee only and is not an offer. have not acted as manager. nor any of its partners. any of the securities discussed in this report. Any opinions. any investment banking compensation from any of the issuers discussed in this report. are not members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and are not subject to the FINRA Rules on Research Analysts and Research Reports and the attendant restrictions and required disclosures required by that rule. This report does not have regard to the specific instrument objectives. All U. financial situation and the particular needs of any specific person who may receive this report. The information in this report has been compiled from sources believed to be reliable but neither Redburn. and. and do not intend to receive. or co-manager. Neither Redburn Partners (USA) LP. nor Redburn Partners (USA) LP.
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