beauanderos wrote:I agree. Price does reflect the collective body of market participants. Unfortunately, some of those participants game the system to their advantage, thus the result is one based not upon fundamentals, but on machinations. In that sense, it is illusory. Deny it all you want, but there is too much corroborative evidence to be dismissive. And I'm not talking anecdotal rumors, stories, etc. Rob Kirby, Ted Butler, Jeff Nielsen, among others, have long-documented the shady dealings that have transpired. Don't understand why some are so adamantly opposed to the proposition that we don't have free markets in the US. I suppose next we'll hear that there really is no such thing as the plunge protection team. Big govt has their hands in the markets, that's all there is to it. So can you still play dips and peaks to your advantage? Obviously so, but trusting only TA will expose you to occasional distortions that aren't natural market phenomena IMHO
I don't deny The Ted Butler stories etc, especially when the CFTC comes out with a statement specifically naming parties involved. Having said that, I do find it curious as to what the motives were of the CFTC to acknowledge what they did, when they did. Silver rocketed from the 16's to 50 after that. Once something of that magnitude has been disclosed, knowing that the parties mentioned are also principally involved in the largest physical market, which is not transparent, I don't imagine that they were so dumbfounded as to remain idle in their efforts to offload risk.
To what degree party X is short or long in one market vs offsets in another isn't knowable. Some investors may make decisions on what they believe to be true about such unknowable exposures, but I do not. There were many who believed that a squeeze was about to shoot silver from $50 straight to $150+. Not my style. All transparent markets that have a reasonable amount of liquidity are fair game for my approach. In an open auction market, I trade price and price alone, regardless of what the street rumors are. In my experience, rumors are usually old news, if not intentionally circulated dis or mis information.
Everyone has their own approach to the markets. That is and should be respected since everyone is unique. The freedom to participate and the open access to the markets is most respected by me.
It has been the means by which I have been able to provide for my family.
Many folks on forums like Realcent are hypersensitive about the physical vs financial markets. I can appreciate that. There is no sense in arguing that one is better than the other. Personally, I like having both for many reasons. When someone allocates their wealth to a certain investment, they look for reasons to support their decision (some with delusional euphoria). The same is true for whomever took the opposite position as well. It is natural investor psychology even though a majority of investors loose money from the investment decisions they make. This is part of another much deeper topic.
My hat is off to anyone who finds success using their own unique strategy and tactics to meet goals and objectives with success, especially REALCENTers.
I wish you all the best of success.
Cheers