Baltimore — (TFN): Some good friends of mine recently took their TV out to their front yard, put two high-brass shells in their 12 gauge and pulled the trigger.  They rendered the hunk of glass and plastic useless. Called it Alaskan waste disposal.

After last night, I’m ready to get out the 00 buckshot, myself.

I’ve got my eye out for good intentions, gone bad after spending the last three editions of Notes discussing the idea of financial regulatory reform.

During 52-mile commute home yesterday, they were all over the place, anything from idiotic signs to a couple of state cops setting a trap and writing tickets for not moving to the left lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle.

The gung-ho troopers had rush-hour traffic slowed for over a mile.

But my mind really started spinning when I passed an out-of-state big rig. I could not help but notice the federal and state ID

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The world’s second largest gold producer by market value, Goldcorp Inc (GG) is acquiring gold miner Canplats Resources Corp for about C$238 million ($229 million) to establish a network of satellite mines around its Penasquito gold project in Mexico. Each Canplats share would be exchanged for 0.074 of a common share of Goldcorp and an interest in a new exploration company. The offer values Canplats at about C$3.60 ($3.46) per share based upon the closing price of Goldcorp shares on Nov. 13. The offer represents a premium of about 41% over the C$2.55 million ($2.45 million) closing price of Canplats shares. The transaction is expected to close in January 2010. The Boards of Directors of both Goldcorp and Canplats have approved the deal. However, a two-thirds majority of Canplats outstanding shareholders are required to vote in favor of the offer for it to conclude. Canplats has ...

Leading gold producer, Goldcorp’s (GG) adjusted net profit in the third quarter of 2009 more than doubled to 19 cents from last year’s 9 cents on higher gold prices and lower cash costs per ounce of gold. Reported earnings were also higher than the Zacks Consensus estimate of 15 cents.  However, on a GAAP basis, net earnings dropped 62% to 16 cents from 42 cents in the previous year due to a foreign exchange loss of $28.1 million. Revenues were up 25% to $691.9 million from $552.2 million in the previous year driven by a 12% rise in average realized prices to $968 per ounce from $865 per ounce in the year-ago quarter and a 9% increase in gold sales volumes to 601,500 ounces.  Gold production increased by 11% year over year to 621,100 ounces compared with 557,400 ounces in 2008 following higher production at the Red ...

U.S. stocks fell on Monday as a resurgent U.S. dollar took a toll on commodity prices and investors paused to gauge if the outlook for corporate profits justified the market’s recent run to 11-month highs.

Caterpillar Inc , down 2.5 percent, was among the top drags after the maker of bulldozers, excavators and other products said worldwide August sales of machinery to dealerships fell.

Crude oil futures shed 3.5 percent to $69.48 a barrel and spot gold prices dropped below $1,000 an ounce. The S&P materials <.GSPM> index fell nearly 2 percent.

Shares of Exxon Mobil Corp declined 1 percent to $69.26, while gold miner Newmont Mining Corp shed 3.1 percent to $43.55.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> lost 55.85 points, or 0.57 percent, to 9,764.35. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index <.SPX> declined 6.64 points, or 0.62 percent, to 1,061.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dipped 6.77 points, or 0.32 percent, to 2,126.09.

The Nasdaq’s losses were curbed

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Gold prices have been fairly stagnant lately, but savvy investors are still making money. AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) is rewarding its investors today for taking some risk.

Gold prices may not be moving by leaps and bounds today, but savvy gold investors are seeing their stakes make a nice move.

I have always told investors if they can handle the extra risk, investing in the leading gold miners is a surefire strategy to leverage the gains made in the gold market. Today’s action from AngloGold Ashanti (NYSE:AU) proves the theory is valid.

Shares of the South African gold miner are up by about 5% after the company announced its second quarter was a record breaker. Thanks to increased production efficiency and a boost in gold prices, AngloGold increased its Q2 earnings by 11% to $167 million, or $0.47 per share.

In all, the company pulled 1.102Moz of gold from the ground during

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Barrick Gold Corporation (ABX) reported a flat $492 million or 56 cents per share in profits in the second quarter of the year, compared to the year ago level of $485 million or 55 cents per share. The Canadian gold miner generated revenues of $2.03 billion, 3% higher than the year ago level. Operating cash flow rose 42% to $718 million compared to $505 million in the same prior-year period. This reflected lower income tax payments as a result of the production mix and the use of tax loss carry forwards. The realized gold price for the quarter was $931 per ounce, which was $33 higher than the year ago level. Gold production reached 1.87 million ounces at total cash costs of $452 per ounce due to strong operating performance in the North and South America regions. This put the company on track with a ...

Gold traded sideways through Hong Kong then shot north at the London open and remained range-bound between $951 and $953 for the rest of the day, finishing at $951.60/oz., up $3.60. For the week, gold is up 1.5%. Platinum sank in Hong Kong, falling to an intraday low of $1167 before adding back all the early losses and a bunch more over the rest of the trading day, closing at $1186/oz., up $11. For the week, platinum is up 1.2%.

Silver developed the gentlest of upward trends early in London and rode that trend through the Globex, ending just off its intraday high at $13.87/oz., up 17 cents. For the week, silver is up 3.4%. (Click here for charts)

Although profit-taking kept gold from staging a big rally this week, the yellow metal should be well supported at current levels because of dollar weakness and inflation fears, analysts said.

“We

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Gold held just under $950 an ounce today, Wednesday, as the dollar steadied against a basket of currencies with weakness in the euro underpinning prices, but gains were capped by lack of physical demand for the metal.

A slide in oil prices is also undermining support for gold, analysts said.

Spot gold was at $947.85 an ounce at 1402 GMT, against $948.15 an ounce late in New York on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for August delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange were up $1.30 at $948.20 an ounce.

“We are stuck in a range,” said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS Finance in Geneva. “We have to break below $944 or above $955 in order to see some interest in the market.”

“With stocks opening lower and the euro not performing that (well), gold could test the lower end of its range,” he added.

The dollar <.DXY> was steady versus a

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Gold firmed today, Thursday, as weakness in the dollar prompted interest in the precious metal as a currency hedge, with some physical demand after the previous session’s fall also supported prices.

Spot gold was bid at $912.50 an ounce at 1417 GMT, against $908.45 an ounce late in New York on Wednesday. U.S. gold futures for August delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $3.50 to $912.80 an ounce.

Gold sold off on Wednesday in line with other commodities, slipping to an eight-week low, after the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it was considering a clampdown on excessive speculation in commodities.

Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS Finance in Geneva, said the slip was met with some light physical buying in the Far East and Europe.

“We saw some small demand out of the Far East this morning,” he said. “But India and the Middle East is still very

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It’s just a matter of time before $1,000 becomes the floor price for gold.  Once gold breaks above the $1,000 per ounce psychological resistance level, the sky is the limit.  Gold could easily hit $1,200 or even $1,300 per ounce by year end.  But you must act fast, because you may never see gold under $1,000 per ounce again.  Investors that position themselves correctly today will have the opportunity to make 100% or more gains in the months ahead.  Let me explain why…

Inflation is just one of the reasons to buy gold.  The U.S. government is on track to spend $1.8 trillion more this year than it brings in.  America’s national debt is well over $11 trillion.  This is the largest debt ever accumulated in the history of man.

It’s unlikely that America can continue to borrow $3.7 billion per day.  Eventually, overseas investors will stop supporting our lavish spending habits

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