Unfortunately, there is so much money to be made (and lost) by day trading that my cautions have once again fallen on deaf ears.

Well, it looks like the so-called “technicals” are starting to support my theory, and so this month I’m going to depart from my typical discussion of market fundamentals and take a look at the COMEX gold futures market. It turns out that the same paper markets that helped drive the price of gold down are beginning to run into the hard reality of physical gold demand; their reversal may push gold to new highs.

Reading the Futures

The world of futures contracts is often confusing for ordinary investors. It is mainly the domain of institutions seeking to hedge and professional speculators. I do not recommend passive investors get involved in futures trading, but it is helpful to understand how these financial instruments affect gold’s spot price.