Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Alasdair Macleod: "1300 tonnes of gold missing from the Bank of England?" GATA seeks answers.



  Alasdair Macleod talks with Max Keiser from 13.00 about Gold market, GOFO and questions whether "1300 tonnes of gold missing from the Bank of England?" If it is true, this gold was used to suppress the Gold price during the recent Special OP: Gold Wash Out. The record low COMEX Gold is indicating the Bear Squeeze in Gold coming to the market.


GATA's Bill Murphy On The Manipulated Gold Drop

"We have more and more evidence about the manipulation in the Gold market in order to save the day of the former reserve currency of choice - US Dollar.  Markets can not be manipulated forever - Gold's come back will surprise a lot of investors. China will be writing a lot of "Thank you" cards to the "clueless Bernanke"."





GATA:

Bank of England refuses comment on huge discrepancy in custodial gold reports

 Section: 
11:11a ET Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Dear Friend of GATA and Gold:
The Bank of England refuses to explain what appears to be a huge discrepancy in its accounting of the gold it holds in custody, a difference of as much as 1,200 tonnes between the total reported in the bank's annual report in February and the total reported in a "virtual tour" of the bank posted this month at the bank's Internet site:
The discrepancy was noted by GoldMoney research director Alasdair Macleod last week during an interview with Max Keiser on the "Keiser Report" program on the Russia Today television network:
Responding to Macleod's assertions, your secretary/treasurer wrote to the bank's public information office Sunday seeking clarification about the bank's custodial gold.
A reply was quickly sent from the bank but it was unclear. So your secretary/treasurer wrote back asking for plain answers to these questions:
1) Will the bank confirm any difference in the amount of gold reported held in custody in February and the amount in custody reported by the new Internet site application?
2) Did Alasdair Macleod misconstrue anything about the Bank of England's custodial gold in his remarks on the "Keiser Report" program on Russia Today?
3) Is the bank declining to acknowledge changes in the amount of gold in its custody? If so, could you explain why?
4) Does the bank prefer to be reported to be declining to acknowledge substantial changes in the amount of gold in its custody?
A reply received today from the head of the bank's public and internal communications division, Chris Shadforth, provided affirmative answers to Questions 3 and 4:
"The number of bars mentioned in the app cannot be used to infer a change in the amount of custodial gold held by the Bank of England as the figure is deliberately non-specific," Shadforth wrote. "The bank will not be offering any further comment on this matter."
That is, the information provided to the public by the bank about its custody of gold is for entertainment purposes only and the facts of surreptitious intervention by central banks in the gold and currency markets are not to be discussed, in accordance with the findings of the secret March 1999 report of the International Monetary Fund, revealed by GATA last December, which related that central banks conceal their gold swaps and leases to facilitate secret market intervention:
So Macleod will stand uncontradicted and participants in the financial markets -- at least the few who pay attention -- may fairly assume that the smashing of the gold price in April well may have been related to a huge outflow of metal from the Bank of England's vault.
And once again the great asset of Western central banking in surreptitious market manipulation is shown to be the refusal of mainstream financial news organizations to put specific and critical questions to central banks and to report their refusals to answer.
CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc."



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Monday, July 29, 2013

Powered By Lithium: BMW i3 Electric Revealed



  BMW i3 Electric revealed in New York, London and Beijing today.



Powered By Lithium: BMW's i3 hatchback is mark of electric car confidence


Iconic auto brand will make its own statement in electric revolution on Monday. It could be another very important chapter for Electric Cars roll out, if BMW is really serious about it. With German luxury car maker behind it BMW i3 can take the niche right below the Tesla Model S in the market and make Electric Cars urban mobility fashion. Range Extender can be the game changer in Electric Cars proposition. 


Will Tesla Model S Bring The Life Back To Lithium Miners?

"Now the only time is required for general public to realise that shale oil is the dead end and find out why China and Japan are securing the Lithium supply now. Way Of The Future came out with the great article putting Lithium Big Picture together."




Car Magazine:


BMW i3 (2013) official pictures, prices and specs



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Sunday, July 28, 2013

Jim Puplava’s Big Picture: Investing In the Gold Markets: Mistakes Made - Lessons Learned

  


  Jim Puplava has made a great overview of the Gold Market and Gold Miners this week. These days he is hedging his money management business and is not so extreme in his calls to buy Gold and Gold Miners as other featured Gold Bugs on this blog, but this is where his guests are stepping in. 
  Mr Gold Corp. - Rob McEwen used to be the one of the experts in Jim Puplava's Gold Round Tables and he is putting his money where his mouth is now.

Rob McEwen: "We Seem To Be Near The Bottom Of This Correction" MUX, TNR.v



Jim Puplava’s Big Picture: Investing In the Gold Markets: Mistakes Made - Lessons Learned

Featuring Jean-Marie Eveillard, Ronald Stoeferle, Keith Barron and other industry experts

"In this special edition of the Big Picture, Jim puts a capstone on his series of interviews with gold industry experts, including gold fund managers, gold mining CEO’s, geologists, newsletter publishers and gold analysts. Using audio clips from the experts for emphasis, Jim discusses the struggles of the gold industry, and lays out the mistakes that were made, and the lessons that were learned. The list of experts include Keith Barron, Robert Quartermain, Ross Hansen, John Doody, Jean-Marie Eveillard, Ronald Stoeferle, Caesar Bryan, Jeff Christian and Sean Boyd. Jim also answers your Q-Calls in this segment of the program."


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Eric Sprott on Detroit Bankruptcy, Debt And Gold.

  

  Eric Sprott has made a very good interview on King World News. Importance of the big picture in this game with rigged markets has never been more crucial for your investment decisions. "Is it Different This Time?" - we will all find out very soon. Detroit bankruptcy is the wake up call: Debt still matters even in the "new normal" of Planet Ponzi. Once investment public dig it out the move in real assets, Gold and Silver will be explosive.

Adam Hamilton: Gold-Stock Rebirth



  We have shared with you our observation on Gold Buy signal occurred on weekly chart. HUI has its own Buy Signal now and Eric is talking about the happened 20% move upside, which signals the new Bull market for the Gold stocks.



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World’s Largest Automaker’s Lead in Lithium Battery Tech Investments

  

  The idea about the Lithium as the strategic commodity for the Next Big Thing - Electric Cars will be making its rounds now in the investment news.

Will Tesla Model S Bring The Life Back To Lithium Miners?

"Now the only time is required for general public to realise that shale oil is the dead end and find out why China and Japan are securing the Lithium supply now. Way Of The Future came out with the great article putting Lithium Big Picture together."


The Motley Fool:

Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (TM): Follow the World’s Largest Automaker’s Lead in Battery Tech Investments


If you’ve yet to invest in emerging energy technologies, recent actions by the world’s largest automaker in lithium-ion battery development could get you off the fence and into the game.
Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM)Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TMannounced in May that it plans to expand the manufacture of lithium-ion batteries to six times its current production. The move is a joint effort between Toyota Motors and electronics giant Panasonic. Although Toyota has yet to confirm thestrategy, most industry experts believe the automaker plans to bring the latest lithium-ion battery technology to its flagship hybrid, the Prius.

Count Tim Esterdahl among them. “The lithium-ion battery is lighter and smaller, which will help increase miles per gallon,” points out Esterdahl, in a recent guest blog for Olathe Toyota Parts Center, one of the Internet’s largest distributors of Toyota parts. Esterdahl agrees with other forecasters that Toyota is likely to replace the nickel-metal hydride battery currently used in its popular Prius with lithium-ion technology.

Esterdahl points to a report in Nikkei that Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) and Panasonic will build a new production line at a cost of $194 million to manufacture lithium-ion batteries. The six-fold increase equates to about 200,000 units annually.

In making the announcement, Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) spokesman Ryo Sakai told Reuters that the joint venture was in response to the growing demand for lithium-ion batteries.

While there has been some indication Toyota Prius sales have plateaued in the U.S., it remains a dominant force and is the top-selling hybrid vehicle worldwide, passing the 3-million mark in sales last month.

“The appeal of hybrids is easy to see with rising gas prices and the prices of hybrids dropping,” says Esterdahl. “A new and improved Prius will help Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) continue its reign as the top hybrid manufacturer in the world.”

New market opportunities

The assumption that Toyota is ramping up production of lithium-ion batteries for use in its Prius may be made a bit fuzzy with Toyota’s announcement later the same month that it is also launching a joint venture with a local Chinese company to produce nickel-metal hydride batteries. But industry chatter is that the nickel-metal hydride batteries will be used not for its current Prius, but for hybrid models Toyota plans to start selling in China in 2015 as part of its effort to make advanced energy cars more affordable there.

The flurry of activity by Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) and other automakers comes in anticipation of China’s automobile policy being tweaked to include conventional hybrids under its incentives for alternative energy car purchases. Currently, China provides generous subsidies for all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, with only small incentives for conventional hybrid ownership. But that’s expected to change later this year.

Lithium-ion batteries have several advantages over nickel metal batteries used in a majority of hybrid cars today, including higher energy and power densities, higher useful capacity, greater charge efficiency, and a longer operating life, among others. Just about every major car manufacturer in the world now has a lithium-ion battery project to tout. This is clear indication of the industry’s direction despite what may have appeared as a bit of waffling on Toyota’s part with its nickel-metal hydride battery announcement.

Earlier this year, a Frost & Sullivan report estimated that the $11.7 billion lithium-ion battery market seen in 2012 would double by 2016.

Investors should target their lithium-ion battery investment at the automotive sector. While 64% of the lithium-ion market today is cornered by consumer batteries, the biggest growth area through 2016 is expected to be the vehicle sector. Automotive’s share of the lithium-ion battery market is expected to expand from 14% to 25%, a compound annual growth rate, or CAGR, of 37%. The important caveat here, however, is this favorable forecast is based on expected government incentives for electric and hybrid vehicle ownership, particularly in China.

If you are considering investments in the lithium-ion battery technology arena, here is a quick peek at a few of the major player.

Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM)

As Japan’s largest company, Toyota boasts a market capitalization just over $200 billion, though its coveted spot as world automotive leader continues to be hotly pursued by both General Motors and Volkswagen. In addition to the Prius, the innovative Toyota also offers hybrid versions of many of its conventional vehicles, including the popular Camry. The company is enjoying a 3% growth rate in North America over last year. Toyota boasts a significant history of growth in earnings per share and net income.

Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)

This California-based company has quickly built a strong reputation in the automotive industry, despite limiting itself to manufacture of high-performance electric vehicles. Its ability to do so is due in large part to its advanced lithium-ion battery technology, which allows its models to go an impressive 300 miles per charge, a feat that has other automakers scrambling. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) has a market capitalization of $13.77 billion, and has shown phenomenal growth since the start of the year. Despite this surge, Tesla stock still appears to have upside.

Panasonic

Toyota’s new partner in lithium-ion battery manufacture has reported growth of 52% in Tokyo and 32% on the OTC market. Panasonic's heavy involvement in the broader tech sector has helped drive its first-half of 2013, so adding lithium-ion battery technology advances to the mix should work in its favor. The company continues to face stiff competition from rivals in China and South Korea, pushing recent strategies to eliminate unprofitable product lines with targets of a 50 billion yen net profit for the fiscal year ending March 2014, and 350 billion yen operating profit in two years.

Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE:JCI)

Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE:JCIlays claim as the global leader in automotive battery manufacture and saw 17% growth in the first half of 2013. It recently reported third-quarter fiscal year earnings increase of 32% thanks to higher sales across its divisions. Like Panasonic, this company has broader tech interests, but continues a strong focus in lithium-ion battery technology, including a new contract with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Investing in Battery Technologies

Between 2010 and 2012, light-duty hybrid vehicle registration numbers increased by 34%, while overall vehicle registrations in the U.S. rose less than 3%, according to data compiled by R.L. Polk on behalf of Diesel Technology Forum. These figures suggest that newly registered hybrid vehicles are being purchased to replace existing conventional vehicles, supporting growth in hybrid market share.

Battery technologies will continue to drive advancements in hybrid vehicle performance, supporting continued sales growth of these vehicles. Tying your investments to companies taking the lead in cutting-edge development of these alternative energy advancements can put you in the driver's seat for reaping the benefits of this growing automobile market niche.

Lori Weaver has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Tesla Motors . The Motley Fool owns shares of Tesla Motors.

The article Follow the World’s Largest Automaker’s Lead in Battery Tech Investments originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Lori Weaver.

Lori is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited."


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