Commodity Technical Outlook: COMEX

GOLD

Gold dropped lower overnight to open at 1203.50/1204.50. It briefly touched a high of 1208.00/1209.00 as the Euro strengthened against the Dollar. It then declined to a low of 1203.00/1204.00 following strong U.S. data that pointed to an increase in pending home sales and factory activity while global equities climbed to a six-year high. Quiet trading in the afternoon led the metal to close at 1204.00/1205.00. 

Gold is weaker today at 1204. The metal had been drifting higher the past week in a move that started at 1188 and ended Friday at 1218. We see key down side support at 1181 and topside resistance at 1222, which is the top of a bearish two-month channel. Big picture: the metal is closing out 2013 at the lower end of this year’s range of 1181 to 1795. The risk remains to the down side.

Gold settled down tracking Comex Gold which settled under $1,200 as a willingness to take on more risk and the prospect of a global recovery

Expectations that the U.S. economy will improve and the rest of the world’s growth will stabilise in 2014, have further undermined the case for holding bullion

Holdings on SPDR Gold Trust fell three tonnes on Friday to their lowest since Jan. 2009 at 801.2 tonnes.

Hedge funds and money managers cut their bullish bets in gold and silver in the week to Dec. 24, data from the CFTC showed on Monday. 

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
GOLD	1192	1181	1215	1226

Commodity Contract S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3

SILVER

Silver followed gold lower overnight to open at 19.59/19.64. It touched a low of 19.55/19.60 shortly after the open and then climbed to a high of 19.74/19.79 before closing the session at 19.61/19.66.

Silver is lower today at 19.66. Silver had been moving higher in recent trading from 19.15 to 20.19. The price action of the past month has been overall sideways with key levels seen at 18.91 and 20.47. Silver has had a rough 12 months falling from January high of 32.46 to July low of 18.26.

The Gold Silver ratio has spiked higher today from 60.23 to 61.25. We see resistance at 61.86 from a declining trend line.

Silver down after investors shrugged off soft U.S. housing figures and sold on concerns years of support from the Federal Reserve

Some market participants believe the Fed will likely reduce its bond purchases by USD10 billion in each of its next seven meetings

Holdings at ishares silver trust dropped by 50.90 tonnes to 9958.64 tonnes from 10009.54 tonnes.

Volumes remained light with year-end positioning and profit-taking driving flows. 

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
SILVER	19.32	19.03	20.04	20.47

Commodity Contract S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3

COPPER

On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for March delivery traded at USD3.389 a pound during European morning trade, up 0.1%. Comex copper prices traded in a range between USD3.372 a pound and USD3.391 a pound.
The March contract settled 0.4% lower on Friday to end at USD3.385 a pound. Copper prices were likely to find support at USD3.368 a pound, the low from December 26 and resistance at USD3.431 a pound, the high from December 24 and the strongest level since April 12.
Volumes were expected to remain light on Monday, with year-end positioning and profit-taking driving flows.
Copper prices have been well-supported in recent weeks amid indications the U.S. economic recovery is deepening. The U.S. is second behind China in global copper demand.

Copper futures were little changed near last week’s four-month high in subdued trade on Monday, as market players looked ahead to U.S. pending home sales data later in the day to gauge the strength of the world’s largest economy.

Copper little changed as market players looked ahead to U.S. pending home sales data later in the day to gauge the strength of the world’s largest economy.

Copper prices have been well-supported in recent weeks amid indications the U.S. economic recovery is deepening.

Copper production in the January-to-November period increased 6.5 percent to roughly 5.3 million tonnes, the INE added.

Warehouse stock for Copper at LME was at 367450mt that is down by -3500mt.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
COPPER	3.3720	3.3611	3.3928	3.4031

Commodity Contract S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3

CRUDE

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, Crude oil futures for February delivery traded at USD99.34 a barrel at time of writing rising 0.05%.

It earlier traded at a session high USD99.39 a barrel. Crude oil was likely to find support at USD99.06 and resistance at USD100.75.
US Dollar Index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, fell 0.01% to trade at USD80.16.
Elsewhere on the ICE, Brent oil for February delivery rose 0.03% to trade at USD111.27 a barrel, with the spread between the Brent oil and Crude oil contracts standing at USD11.93 a barrel.

Crude oil futures were higher during the Asian session on Tuesday.

Crude oil settled down after disappointing U.S. home sales figures sparked concerns that the U.S. economy continues to battle potholes on its road to recovery.

Support seen as data showed that U.S. total fuel demand hit a 26-month high in October while a key Libyan oil export port remained shut.

Energy Information Administration showed. U.S. crude is set for an annual gain of 8% in 2013, after falling about 7 per cent in 2012.

“OPEC oil ministers who claimed that there would not be any surpluses on the crude oil markets next year.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
CRUDE	98.80	98.32	100.09	100.90

Commodity Contract S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3

Global Economic Data

Date: 31/12/2013
TIME :IST	DATA	PRV	EXP	IMPACT
7.30P.M	S&P/CS Composite-20 HPI y/y	13.3%	13.4%	MEDIUM
8.15P.M	Chicago PMI	63.0	61.3	MEDIUM
8.30P.M	CB Consumer Confidence	70.4	76.5	STRONG

S&P/CS Composite-20 HPI y/y

Source	Standard & Poor's (latest release)
Measures	Change in the selling price of single-family homes in 20 metropolitan areas;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 60 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 28, 2014
FF Notes	This is one of the few non-seasonally adjusted numbers reported on the calendar, as it's the primary calculation for this indicator;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of the housing industry's health because rising house prices attract investors and spur industry activity;
Acro Expand	Standard & Poor's (S&P), Case-Shiller (CS), House Price Index (HPI);
Source	Standard & Poor's (latest release)

Chicago PMI

Source	MNI (latest release)
Measures	Level of a diffusion index based on surveyed purchasing managers in the Chicago area;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, on the last business day of the current month;
Next Release	Jan 31, 2014
FF Notes	Data is given to MNI subscribers 3 minutes before the public release time listed on the calendar - early market reaction is usually a result of trades made by these subscribers. Above 50.0 indicates expansion, below indicates contraction;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health - businesses react quickly to market conditions, and their purchasing managers hold perhaps the most current and relevant insight into the company's view of the economy;
Derived Via	Survey of around 200 purchasing managers in Chicago which asks respondents to rate the relative level of business conditions including employment, production, new orders, prices, supplier deliveries, and inventories;
Also Called	Chicago Business Barometer;
Acro Expand	Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI);

CB Consumer Confidence

Source	The Conference Board Inc. (latest release)
Measures	Level of a composite index based on surveyed households;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, on the last Tuesday of the current month;
Next Release	Jan 28, 2014
Why Traders Care	Financial confidence is a leading indicator of consumer spending, which accounts for a majority of overall economic activity;
Derived Via	Survey of about 5,000 households which asks respondents to rate the relative level of current and future economic conditions including labor availability, business conditions, and overall economic situation;
Acro Expand	The Conference Board (CB);

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COMEX: Commodity Technical Outlook

GOLD

Gold moved higher overnight to open at the session low of  1210.00/1211.00. The metal then climbed to a high of  1218.75/1219.75 on low volumes as the Euro appreciated against  the Dollar and major world equities rallied while U.S. government  bond yields rose to a two-and-a-half year high of 3.02 percent,  which is indicative of an improving economy and supports  expectations that the Fed will continue with tapering of its  monthly bond buying program. Quiet trading in the afternoon led  the metal to close at 1214.50/1215.50.

Gold closed slightly higher on the week at 1214; the metal has  been alternating between lower and higher weekly closes for the  past eight weeks. However, the down candles have been stronger  than the up ones, taking us from 1361 in early November to a low  of 1187. The major low of 1180 is likely to be tested. From an  Elliott Wave perspective, we feel we are in Wave C, the last wave  of the corrective 3-wave sequence off the 1921 high in September  2011. Possible targets for Wave C are 1155, which is the 61.8%  retracement of the 2008 to 2011 uptrend; or 1044, which is the  bottom of Wave 4 of this same uptrend. RSI is at 35.2, with  support just above 20, thus gold has further to go before it  reaches ‘oversold’ levels.
Gold settled flat as prices recovered from lows on the back of increased physical demand.
Expectations that the U.S. economy can stand on its own as monetary stimulus is withdrawn were buoyed by data showing a decrease in weekly jobless claims
SPDR gold trust holding dropped by 3.00 tonnes to 801.22 tonnes from 804.22 tonnes. 
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	S3	S4
GOLD	1205	1200	1218	1221

Commodity Contract: S2 S1 R1 R2

 
SILVER
Silver edged higher overnight to open at 19.88/19.93, which was  also the low of the day. It followed gold to a high of 20.09/20.14  prior to concluding the session at 20.00/20.05.
Silver closed higher this week at 20.05, trading inside of last  week’s range. Support is at 18.23 from the 2013 low. The trend  remains bearish, and a test of this level is likely. There is resistance  from the weekly downtrend off the August 2013 high, which  currently comes in at 21.30.
Silver ended with gains amid short covering after the dollar retreated further but remained on track for its annual loss as rallies in equities dented its appeal.
Gains were limited on sentiments that Fed’s plans to trim USD10 billion in monthly bond purchases in January will lead to further cuts to the stimulus program.
Holdings at ishares silver trust dropped by 50.90 tonnes to 9958.64 tonnes from 10009.54 tonnes.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	S3	S4
SILVER	19.70	19.55	20.04	20.27

Commodity Contract: S2 S1 R1 R2

COPPER

Copper settled down -0.38% at 468.2 on profit booking after gaining due to tightening supplies and expectations that economic recovery in China will help boost demand. China’s economic growth is likely to come in at 7.6 percent this year, according to a cabinet report, just above the government’s target of 7.5 percent and slightly below last year’s 7.7 percent. Its industrial output is likely to grow by about 9.8 percent in 2013, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.

Buying in China is expected to wind down during the Lunar New Year holidays in January. Also supporting copper prices has been a lack of readily available metal due to falling exchange stocks. The latest LME data showed copper stocks in exchange-registered warehouses dropped to their lowest since January at 370,950 tonnes. Still, ample copper concentrate seen flowing into the market next year will eventually feed into more stocks of refined copper, swelling supply and overhanging prices.
Copper dropped on profit booking after gaining due to tightening supplies and expectations that economic recovery in China will help boost demand.
State Reserves Bureau (SRB) is working on plans to buy about 300,000 tonnes of copper
Buying in China is expected to wind down during the Lunar New Year holidays in January.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	S3	S4
COPPER	3.4346	3.3993	3.4876	3.5053

Commodity Contract: S2 S1 R1 R2

CRUDE

 On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for delivery in February rose 0.77% on Friday to settle the week at USD100.32 a barrel by close of trade. U.S. oil prices rose to a session high of USD100.75 a barrel earlier, the strongest level since October 21.
Nymex oil futures were likely to find support at USD99.05 a barrel, the low from December 26 and resistance at USD101.22 a barrel, the high from October 21.
The February contract settled 0.33% higher on Thursday to end at USD99.55 a barrel. On the week, U.S. crude futures, also known as West Texas Intermediate or WTI, rose 0.99%.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report released Friday that U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 4.7 million barrels in the week ended December 20, compared to expectations for a decline of 2.3 million barrels.
New York-traded crude oil futures ended the week at a nine-week high on Friday, climbing above the key USD100-a-barrel level after government data showed that U.S. oil supplies fell more-than-expected last week.
Crude gained driven by the fourth straight weekly decline in oil inventories and also drew support from civil unrest in Africa that has cut off supplies.
EIA said that U.S. Crude Oil Inventories fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of -4.731M, from -2.941M in the preceding month.
US crude stocks fall even as output hits 1988 high –EIA
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	S3	S4
CRUDE	99.54	98.78	100.90	101.52

Commodity Contract: S2 S1 R1 R2

Global Economic Data

DATE	30.12.13
TIME :IST	8.30P.M
DATA	Pending Home Sales m/m
PRV	-0.6%
EXP	1.1%
IMPACT	STRONG

Pending Home Sales m/m

Source	National Association of Realtors (latest release)
Measures	Change in the number of homes under contract to be sold but still awaiting the closing transaction, excluding new construction;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 28 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 30, 2014
FF Notes	This data is released about a week later than Existing Home Sales, but it's more forward-looking as a contract is signed several weeks before the home is counted as sold;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health because the sale of a home triggers a wide-reaching ripple effect. For example, renovations are done by the new owners, a mortgage is sold by the financing bank, and brokers are paid to execute the transaction;
Also Called	Pending Resales;
Source	National Association of Realtors (latest release)

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Commodity Technical Outlook: GOLD SILVER COPPER CRUDE

GOLD
Gold edged higher overnight to open at 1201.00/1202.00. It  dropped slightly to a low of 1200.00/1201.00 before climbing to a  high of 1205.50/1206.50 on low volumes ahead of Christmas as  positive U.S. data pointed to an increase in sales of durable goods  while the monthly home price index increased slightly. The metal  traded within range for the rest of the day before finally closing at  1204.00/1205.00.
Gold closed higher today at 1204, reversing yesterday’s losses. The  metal remains in a bearish trend, support is at the major low of  1180, with resistance at the high from Thursday, December 19th  around 1227. The last signal in MACD on the daily chart was a sell  signal on December 19th.
Gold rose as bearish traders continued to leave the market ahead of the year’s end and a weaker dollar burnished gold’s allure to foreign buyers.
Gold set for its biggest annual loss in three decades as investors switch to rallying equities on optimism about a global economic recovery.
SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings declined 0.19 percent to 804.22 tonnes on Thursday from 805.72 tonnes on Tuesday.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
GOLD	1208	1203	1217	1221

Commodity Contract S2 S1 R1 R2

SILVER
Silver remained unchanged overnight to open at 19.40/19.45,  which was also the low of the day. Thereafter, it followed gold to a  high of 19.55/19.60 before concluding the day at 19.52/19.57.
Silver closed very slightly higher at 19.52, grinding out three days  of small gains, but all inside the range from December 19th. This is  not indicative of bullish price action, and we expect the metal to  retest the major low of 18.90, followed by a test of the 18.22 low  from June. Resistance is at the December 19th high around 19.92.

The gold-silver ratio is trading higher at current 61.74. Support is  at 61.06, the 38.2% retracement of the July-August downtrend.  Resistance is at 62.28, the 50% retracement level
Silver rose after data showed that the number of people who filed for unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell more-than-expected.
The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in nearly a month, a hopeful sign for the labour market
Continuing jobless claims in the week ended December 14 rose to 2.923 million from 2.877 million in the preceding week.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
SILVER	19.82	19.71	20.04	20.27

Commodity Contract S2 S1 R1 R2

COPPER
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for March delivery traded at USD3.375 a pound during U.S. morning trade, flat on the day. Comex copper prices traded in a range between USD3.368 a pound and USD3.375 a pound.
Copper prices were likely to find support at USD3.304 a pound, the low from December 24 and resistance at USD3.420 a pound, the high from December 24 and the strongest level since April 12.

The March contract surged to an eight-month high of USD3.420 a pound on Tuesday, before settling at USD3.374 a pound, up 2.01%.
Copper futures were little changed in subdued trade on Thursday, with volumes expected to remain light as holidays in many countries limit activity.
Copper rose on growing confidence about the global economy, year-end covering and the prospect of purchases from China’s state reserves.
Strong U.S. economic data and a bullish growth forecast for China, fuelled hopes about stronger demand for copper and other industrial metals.
Japan’s output of rolled copper product rose to 67,751 tonnes in November on a seasonally adjusted basis, up 9.6 percent from a year earlier.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
COPPER	3.4298	3.4101	3.4590	3.4690

Commodity Contract S2 S1 R1 R2

CRUDE
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, Crude oil futures for February delivery traded at USD99.39 a barrel at time of writing falling 0.16%.
It earlier traded at a session low USD99.38 a barrel. Crude oil was likely to find support at USD98.53 and resistance at USD99.76.

US Dollar Index, which tracks the performance of the greenback versus a basket of six other major currencies, fell 0.18% to trade at USD80.52.
Elsewhere on the ICE, Brent oil for February delivery fell 0.26% to trade at USD111.70 a barrel, with the spread between the Brent oil and Crude oil contracts standing at USD12.31 a barrel..
Crude oil futures were lower in Asian trading hours on Friday.
Crude oil gained boosted by demand for refined products after industry data earlier this week showed a steep decline in gasoline and distillate inventories.
Supply outages in Africa are also in focus and added some geopolitical risk premium to prices.
Today crude oil inventories: EXP: -1.9M PREV: -2.9M. Actual is at 9.30PM.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
CRUDE	99.20	98.78	99.81	100.46

Commodity Contract S2 S1 R1 R2

Global Economic Data

TIME	DATA	PRV	EXP	IMPACT
9.30P.M	Crude Oil Inventories	-2.9m	-1.9m	MEDIUM

Crude Oil Inventories

Source	Energy Information Administration (latest release)
Measures	Change in the number of barrels of crude oil held in inventory by commercial firms during the past week;
Usual Effect	No consistent effect - there are both inflationary and growth implications;
Frequency	Released weekly, 4 days after the week ends;
Next Release	Jan 3, 2014
FF Notes	While this is a US indicator, it most affects the loonie due to Canada's sizable energy sector;
Why Traders Care	It influences the price of petroleum products which affects inflation, but also impacts growth as many industries rely on oil to produce goods;
Also Called	Crude Stocks, Crude Levels;
Acro Expand	Energy Information Administration (EIA);

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Gold Silver Copper Crude: Commodity Technical Outlook

GOLD

Gold edged lower overnight to open at 1201.50/1202.50. It rose slightly to an intra-day high of 1203.50/1204.50 as strong U.S. data pointed to an increase in personal consumption. Thereafter the metal dropped, while global stock markets rose to record highs, to finally close at the session low of 1997.00/1998.00.

Gold closed lower today at 1198. Support is at the major low of 1180, with resistance at Thursday’s high around 1227. RSI is at 37.48 with support down at 19.74 from previous lows; thus gold can fall further before reaching 'oversold' levels. 

Gold dropped as players limited their exposure prior to year-end holidays in a market and facing further downside forecasts for 2014.

The impending tapering of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus measures also dimmed gold’s allure as a hedge against inflation.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 8.40 tonnes to 805.72 tonnes.

Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
GOLD	1195	1190	1203	1209

Commodity Contract  S2 S1 R1 R2

SILVER

Silver remained largely unchanged overnight to open at 19.48/19.53. It rose marginally to a high of 19.51/19.56 before declining to a low of 19.38/19.43 and prior to concluding the day at 19.40/19.45.

Silver closed slightly higher today at 19.45. Support is at the major low of 18.90, with resistance at 19.93, last Thursday’s high. The trend remains bearish, with RSI at 42.29 and RSI support down at 22.42.

The gold-silver ratio is trading lower today at current 61.61. The ratio looks poised for near-term weakness, and may test its uptrend support which currently comes in at 60.63. Nevertheless, the ratio remains in an uptrend off the September low.

 Silver ended with losses as some investors continued to mull the Federal Reserve’s decision to reduce stimulus efforts.

Last week the Fed announced it would begin tapering its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases from next month.

U.S. consumer sentiment hit a 5-month high heading into the end of the year and spending notched up its strongest month since the summer.
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
SILVER	19.35	19.15	19.54	19.70

COPPER

On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for March delivery traded at USD3.306 a pound during European morning trade, down 0.05%. Comex copper prices traded in a range between USD3.299 a pound and USD3.315 a pound.
Copper prices were likely to find support at USD3.291 a pound, the low from December 20 and resistance at USD3.323 a pound, the high from December 19.
The March contract settled 0.38% higher on Friday to end at USD3.308 a pound.
The Commerce Department said Friday that the U.S. economy expanded by 4.1% in the third quarter, well above initial estimates for 3.6% growth, adding to signs that the economic recovery is gaining traction.

Copper futures fluctuated between modest gains and losses on Monday, as market sentiment remained mildly supported after Friday's upbeat U.S. economic growth data, while lingering concerns over higher borrowing costs in China weighed. 

Copper ended with losses as prices were not significantly boosted, as trading activity was dull before the Christmas.

Data out showed China’s imports of refined copper in November jumped 31.22 percent to 328,907 tonnes.

Technically market is under long liquidation as market has witnessed drop in open interest by -3.24% to settled at 12276.
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
COPPER	3.3453	3.3401	3.3545	3.3581

CRUDE

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for delivery in February traded at USD99.11 a barrel during U.S. trading, down 0.21%.
The commodity hit a session low of USD98.70 and a high of USD99.32. The February contract settled up 0.28% at USD99.32 a barrel on Friday.
Oil futures were likely to find support at USD96.53 a barrel, the from low Dec. 16, and resistance at USD99.48 a  barrel, Thursday's high.

The Commerce Department reported on Friday that the U.S. gross domestic product expanded by 4.1% in the third quarter, well above consensus forecasts for 3.6% growth, which sent oil prices rising on hopes for faster economic recovery.
The Federal Reserve's Wednesday decision to trim its USD85 billion monthly bond-buying program by USD10 billion beginning in January also bolstered prices as well by further stoking expectations for more pronounced economic growth down the road.

Oil prices slid on Monday after investors locked in gains from Friday's robust economic growth data and sold the commodity for profits, especially after a widely-watched U.S. consumer sentiment report missed expectations.

Crude oil slipped as traders booked profits though refinery strikes in France and internal strife in producers Libya and South Sudan checked losses.

Escalating violence in South Sudan threatens the country’s 245,000 barrels per day (bpd) oil output.

China’s crude oil imports in November from Iran were 2.21 million tonnes, up 25.9 percent from the same month last year.
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
CRUDE	98.50	97.92	99.26	99.62

Global Economic Data

TIME	DATA	PRV	EXP	IMPACT
7.00P.M	Core Durable Goods Orders m/m	0.4%	0.9%	STRONG
7.00P.M	Durable Goods Orders m/m	-1.6%	1.7%	MEDIUM
8.30P.M	New Home Sales	444K	449K	STRONG

Core Durable Goods Orders m/m

Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Change in the total value of new purchase orders placed with manufacturers for durable goods, excluding transportation items;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 26 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 28, 2014
FF Notes	Orders for aircraft are volatile and can severely distort the underlying trend. The Core data is therefore thought to be a better gauge of purchase order trends;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of production - rising purchase orders signal that manufacturers will increase activity as they work to fill the orders;
Also Called	Durable Goods Orders Ex Transportation;
Source	Census Bureau (latest release)

Durable Goods Orders m/m

Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Change in the total value of new purchase orders placed with manufacturers for durable goods;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 26 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 28, 2014
FF Notes	This data is usually revised via the Factory Orders report released about a week later. Durable goods are defined as hard products having a life expectancy of more than 3 years, such as automobiles, computers, appliances, and airplanes;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of production - rising purchase orders signal that manufacturers will increase activity as they work to fill the orders;
Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Change in the total value of new purchase orders placed with manufacturers for durable goods;

New Home Sales

Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Annualized number of new single-family homes that were sold during the previous month;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 25 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 27, 2014
FF Notes	While this is monthly data, it's reported in an annualized format (monthly figure x12);Technical Levels
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health because the sale of a new home triggers a wide-reaching ripple effect. For example, furniture and appliances are purchased for the home, a mortgage is sold by the financing bank, and brokers are paid to execute the transaction;
Also Called	New Residential Sales;
Source	Census Bureau (latest release)

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Gold Silver Copper Crude: Overnight Commodity Technical Outlook

GOLD
Gold moved marginally higher overnight to open at  1232.00/1233.00. It touched a low of 1227.50/1228.50 as U.S.  government debt declined following strong U.S. housing data that  showed housing starts in November 2013 climbed to its highest  level in nearly six years. The metal then climbed to a high of  1237.50/1238.50 as the dollar steadied and consolidated later in  the afternoon to finally close at 1235.00/1236.00.

Gold closed higher today at 1235, continuing the sideways range  that has been in place for nearly a month. This has caused the ADX  (a measure of trend momentum) to deteriorate significantly, from  a recent high of 43.46 to a current level of 31.84. The bear trend  remains in place, but momentum has waned. We would need a  move below the recent 1210 low for the bear trend to accelerate.  If gold broke above the recent range high of 1268, we could see  some short-covering.
Gold prices marginally up but holds steady as market awaits Federal Reserve policy statement
The Fed trimmed the pace of its monthly asset purchases by $10 billion to $75 billion
SPDR Gold Trust, the world’s largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 4.20 tonnes to 812.62 tonnes on Wednesday. 
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
GOLD	1220	1204	1248	1260

Commodity Contract S2 S1 R1 R2

SILVER
Silver edged slightly higher overnight to open at 19.92/19.97. It  declined to a low of 19.87/19.92 and then rose to a session high of  20.10/20.15 before concluding the day at 20.04/20.09.Choppy trades followed post close after the Fed announced its  decision to begin tapering its monthly bond-buying program in  January 2014.

Silver also closed higher at 20.04; and has also been trading in a  sideways range. This has caused ADX to fall to 18.57, below  “trending” levels. If silver can hold its most recent low of 19.30,  and break above the recent 20.51 high, it will be an encouraging  signal for the bulls.
Silver settled up tracking firmness in base metals and crude oil prices ahead of the conclusion of the Fed’s policy meeting later in the day.
Fed chairman said the purchases would likely be cut at a “measured” pace through much of next year if job gains continued as expected
The U.S. Senate passed a two-year budget deal to ease automatic spending cuts and reduce the risk of a government shutdown. 
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
SILVER	19.40	19.00	20.21	20.41

COPPER
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for March delivery traded at USD3.312 a pound during European morning trade, down 0.3%. Comex copper prices traded in a range between USD3.303 a pound and USD3.323 a pound.
Copper prices were likely to find near-term support at USD3.300 a pound, the low from December 16 and resistance at USD3.335 a pound, the high from December 17.
The March contract rallied to USD3.335 a pound on Tuesday, the highest since October 22, before turning lower to settle at USD3.321 a pound, down 0.24%.
Copper futures eased off the previous session’s seven-week high on Wednesday, as investors anxiously awaited the outcome of the final Federal Reserve policy meeting of 2013 later in the trading day.
Copper gained as most investors remained cautious before any news from the Fed’s policy meeting
In fresh quarterly forecasts, the central bank lowered its expectations for both inflation and unemployment over the next few years
The Census Bureau reported U.S. housing starts rose to 1.09 million units last month, from 890,000 in October beating consensus forecasts. 
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
COPPER	3.3503	3.3396	3.3713	3.3816

CRUDE
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for delivery in February traded at USD97.87 a barrel, down 0.18%, after hitting a session low overnight of USD97.31 and a high of USD98.26.
On Wednesday crude prices picked up on falling U.S. oil inventories. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in its weekly report that U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 2.9 million barrels in the week ended Dec. 13, beating expectations for a decline of 2.3 million barrels.
Total U.S. crude oil inventories stood at 372.3 million barrels as of last week, and the data sent prices gaining by stoking sentiments that demand for fuel and energy in the U.S. may be heavier than once anticipated
Oil prices fell in early morning trading in Asia on Thursday following the Federal Reserve announcement to scale back a monthly bond-buying program.
Crude oil prices rose buoyed by news that U.S. supplies fell more than expected last week.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported in its weekly report earlier that U.S. crude oil inventories fell by 2.9 million barrels
OPEC crude oil supply is forecast to expand at its fastest pace for 30-years in 2014 and that this will have significant implications for OPEC’s leverage over oil markets. 
Technical Levels

	S1	S2	R1	R2
CRUDE	97.21	96.62	98.20	98.60

Global Economic Data

TIME	DATA	PRV	EXP	IMPACT
7.00P.M	Unemployment Claims	366K	368K	STRONG
8.30P.M	Existing Home Sales	5.12M	5.04M	STRONG
8.30P.M	Philly Fed Manufacturing Index	6.5	10.3	STRONG

Unemployment Claims

Source	Department of Labor (latest release)
Measures	The number of individuals who filed for unemployment insurance for the first time during the past week;
Usual Effect	Actual < Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released weekly, 5 days after the week ends;
Next Release	Dec 26, 2013
FF Notes	This is the nation's earliest economic data. The market impact fluctuates from week to week - there tends to be more focus on the release when traders need to diagnose recent developments, or when the reading is at extremes;
Why Traders Care	Although it's generally viewed as a lagging indicator, the number of unemployed people is an important signal of overall economic health because consumer spending is highly correlated with labor-market conditions. Unemployment is also a major consideration for those steering the country's monetary policy;
Also Called	Jobless Claims, Initial Claims;
Source	Department of Labor (latest release)

Existing Home Sales

Source	National Association of Realtors (latest release)
Measures	Annualized number of residential buildings that were sold during the previous month, excluding new construction;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 20 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 23, 2014
FF Notes	While this is monthly data, it's reported in an annualized format (monthly figure x12). Existing homes make up the majority of total sales and therefore tend to have more impact than New Home Sales;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health because the sale of a home triggers a wide-reaching ripple effect. For example, renovations are done by the new owners, a mortgage is sold by the financing bank, and brokers are paid to execute the transaction;
Also Called	Home Resales;
Source	National Association of Realtors (latest release)

Philly Fed Manufacturing Index

Source	Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (latest release)
Measures	Level of a diffusion index based on surveyed manufacturers in Philadelphia;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, around the middle of the current month;
Next Release	Jan 16, 2014
FF Notes	Above 0.0 indicates improving conditions, below indicates worsening conditions;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health - businesses react quickly to market conditions, and changes in their sentiment can be an early signal of future economic activity such as spending, hiring, and investment;
Derived Via	Survey of about 250 manufacturers in the Philadelphia Federal Reserve district which asks respondents to rate the relative level of general business conditions;
Also Called	Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey;

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GOLD SILVER COPPER CRUDE: Commodity Technical Outlook

GOLD
Gold moved lower overnight to open at 1231.50/1232.50. It  climbed to a high of 1242.50/1243.50 as the U.S. Core Price Index  remained flat and global stocks dipped. It then declined to a low of 1227.00/1228.00 as investors turned cautious ahead of the  two-day FOMC meeting starting today as speculation continues on  the timing of the tapering down of the Fed’s monthly bond-buying  program. The metal concluded the day at 1230.50/1231.50.
Gold closed lower today at 1230, continuing to trade in its  sideways range. Support is at the recent 1210 low, and resistance  is at the recent 1268 high. The bear trend remains in place, thus  there is still risk of a test of the major 1180 low.
Gold dropped as investors shed some bullish bets on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may be poised to trim its bullion-friendly economic stimulus
Expectations that Fed will curtail its stimulus programme, which has driven gold prices higher by pressuring interest rates and fuelling fears of inflation
SPDR Gold Trust said its holdings fell 2.08 tonnes to 816.82 tonnes from 818.90 tonnes.

Technical Levels

	SUPPORT 1	SUPPORT 2	RESISTANCE 1	RESISTANCE 2
GOLD	1228	1218	1237	1243
SILVER	19.77	19.47	20.00	20.30
COPPER	3.3585	3.3500	3.3770	3.3870
CRUDE	96.84	95.47	97.74	98.27

SILVER
Silver edged lower overnight to open at 19.73/19.78. It surged to a  high of 20.11/20.16 before declining to a low of 19.73/19.78 on  the back of gold and concluded the session at 19.85/19.90.
Silver also closed lower, at 19.85. Support is at the recent low of  18.90, and resistance is at the recent 20.51 high. Although the  metal made a “higher low” at 19.30 last week, it is much too early  to conclude that silver is trying to reverse out of its bearish trend.  The risk remains for a test of the major low at 18.23.

The gold-silver ratio is trading lower again today at current 61.92.  The ratio made a “lower high” at 62.61 on Friday, and so in the  very near-term, we could see the ratio trade back towards its  uptrend support line, which currently comes in at around 60.15.  There is also support at 61.06, the 38.2% retracement of the  August downtrend.
Silver declined as investors awaited a Federal Reserve meeting due to start later in the day to gauge the timing of stimulus cuts.
Data showing flat U.S. consumer prices in November also pressured prices.
Investors remained cautious ahead of the outcome of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting on Wednesday.

COPPER
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for March delivery traded at USD3.329 a pound during European morning trade, down 0.02%. Comex copper prices climbed to a session high of USD3.335 a pound earlier, the strongest level since October 22.
Copper prices were likely to find support at USD3.300 a pound, the low from December 16 and resistance at USD3.353 a pound, the high from October 22.
The March contract settled 0.53% higher on Monday to end at USD3.329 a pound after upbeat manufacturing data out of the euro zone and the U.S. boosted optimism over the global economy.

Investors remained cautious ahead of the outcome of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting on Wednesday, with some expecting the central bank to announce a small reduction in the pace of its USD85 billion-a-month asset purchase program.
Copper futures were little changed near a seven-week high on Tuesday, as market players prepared for the start of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting later in the day and news on the fate of the central bank’s bond-buying program.
Copper gained ahead of the start of the Fed’s policy meeting and news on the fate of the central bank’s bond-buying program.
Inflation data for US and European released were viewed as signs that the UK, US and eurozone were pressured by low inflation.
The bloc and Germany’s ZEW Economic Sentiment Index for December soundly exceeded forecasts and November’s readings.

CRUDE
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light sweet crude futures for delivery in February traded at USD97.58 a barrel, up 0.11%, after hitting an overnight session low of USD97.27 and a high of USD98.15. The February contract settled up 0.87% at USD97.77 a barrel on Monday.

Late Tuesday, The American Petroleum Institute, an industry trade group, said its own data showed that crude stocks fell by 2.5 million barrels last week. Investors were also awaiting the release of official oil and refined products inventories by the EIA on Wednesday as well.
Many investors remained in standby mode ahead of the Fed's Wednesday announcement on monetary policy as well as the fate of stimulus programs such as monthly bond purchases, which have supported oil for over a year by softening the dollar.
Oil prices rose in Asia on Wednesday as the market awaited the outcome of the Federal Reserve policy meeting.
Crude oil slipped ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting in which the central bank may decide to scale back its stimulus programme.
Prices got some support on news that Libya had not reopened several oil-exporting ports.
Today crude oil inventories: EXP: -2.4M PREV: -10.6M. Actual is at 9.00PM.

Global Economic Data

TIME	DATA	PRV	EXP	IMPACT
7.00P.M	Building Permits	1.04M	0.99M	STRONG
7.00P.M	Housing Starts		0.95M	MEDIUM
9.00P.M	Crude Oil Inventories	-10.6M	-2.4M	MEDIUM

Building Permits

Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Annualized number of new residential building permits issued during the previous month;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 17 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 17, 2014
FF Notes	While this is monthly data, it's reported in an annualized format (monthly figure x12);
Why Traders Care	It's an excellent gauge of future construction activity because obtaining a permit is among the first steps in constructing a new building;
Also Called	Residential Building Permits;
Source	Census Bureau (latest release)

Housing Starts

Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Annualized number of new residential buildings that began construction during the previous month;
Usual Effect	Actual > Forecast = Good for currency;
Frequency	Released monthly, about 17 days after the month ends;
Next Release	Jan 17, 2014
FF Notes	While this is monthly data, it's reported in an annualized format (monthly figure x12). This data is slightly overshadowed by Building Permits because they are tightly correlated and a permit must be issued before a house can begin construction;
Why Traders Care	It's a leading indicator of economic health because building construction produces a wide-reaching ripple effect. For example, jobs are created for the construction workers, subcontractors and inspectors are hired, and various construction services are purchased by the builder;
Source	Census Bureau (latest release)
Measures	Annualized number of new residential buildings that began construction during the previous month;

Crude Oil Inventories

Source	Energy Information Administration (latest release)
Measures	Change in the number of barrels of crude oil held in inventory by commercial firms during the past week;
Usual Effect	No consistent effect - there are both inflationary and growth implications;
Frequency	Released weekly, 4 days after the week ends;
Next Release	Dec 27, 2013
FF Notes	While this is a US indicator, it most affects the loonie due to Canada's sizable energy sector;
Why Traders Care	It influences the price of petroleum products which affects inflation, but also impacts growth as many industries rely on oil to produce goods;

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