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Why Commodity Bull Eric Bolling Is Short Gold

Posted Jan 08, 2009 07:30am EST by Aaron Task in Investing, Commodities
Eric Bolling, a former NYMEX commodity trader, believes massive government spending will devalue the dollar and ultimately benefit commodities.

"Across the board I like commodities: We have a President-elect who's going to come in a reflate the economy by printing money," says the Fox Business News host. "As the dollar goes down, things denominated in dollars - gold, platinum, wheat, soybeans, oil - have to go up in price."

So why does he recommend shorting gold, which most people think of as the classic anti-dollar play?

Bolling isn't anti-gold but believes the yellow metal has become overvalued relative to platinum; thus, he's currently short gold and long platinum via a paired trade. On Wednesday, gold fell 2% to $840 while platinum rose 1% to $971; historically, platinum has traded at a much higher dollar value than gold.

"This trade has a long, long way to go," Bolling says.

Note: The accompanying video was taped Wednesday morning, prior to the session's steep declines in commodities, most notably oil.

96 Comments

prefers
prefers - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:00AM EST

Gotta love it when they say 'Historically, x's price is valued at such relationship to Y', then immediately note 'past performance is no indication of future value'. Historically, we communicated with smoke signals, we now communicate with cell phones. Historically china has not been a consumer of electronics. Historically, icebergs dont melt in summer.

__A_YAHOO_USER__
__A_YAHOO_USER__ - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:01AM EST

coz he wants to get train wrecked !

Andrew B
Andrew B - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:01AM EST

Invest in diamonds. Everybody knows that gold is old, but the ice in my mouth keeps the cristal cold!

PeterP
PeterP - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:16AM EST

Platinum is held in high regard in Asia. Going forward, economic power is shifting east.

DennisH
DennisH - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:17AM EST

Sitting on gold & copper

Mike
Mike - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:17AM EST

It's time to start stocking the cellar with c-rations, dried milk, water, and ammunition. Next year the dollar will be worth less, unemployment over 12%, inflation skyrocketing, and inventories dried up.

Robin
Robin - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:18AM EST

Why doesn't anyone seem to get it? Gold is only money if it is legal tender and can be used to pay taxes. (unless the economy is underground). You can thank 1913 for that. Yes, it may rise as people look for a safe haven. The other point people miss and someone covered it above - Gold has been money in the past and as such, is very different than platinum. The unusual times in which we live is the reason the relationship between the two is skewed,

cisko
cisko - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:18AM EST

pump and dump!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In your aszz... LOL

Robin
Robin - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:18AM EST

Why doesn't anyone seem to get it? Gold is only money if it is legal tender and can be used to pay taxes. (unless the economy is underground). You can thank 1913 for that. Yes, it may rise as people look for a safe haven. The other point people miss and someone covered it above - Gold has been money in the past and as such, is very different than platinum. The unusual times in which we live is the reason the relationship between the two is skewed,

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:18AM EST

Why doesn't anyone seem to get it? Gold is only money if it is legal tender and can be used to pay taxes. (unless the economy is underground). You can thank 1913 for that. Yes, it may rise as people look for a safe haven. The other point people miss and someone covered it above - Gold has been money in the past and as such, is very different than platinum. The unusual times in which we live is the reason the relationship between the two is skewed,

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:27AM EST

hope eric is still chocking on his crude that he bought at $45...i say if you loved it at $45...buy more now...its $41!! double up...

Hank
Hank - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:28AM EST

Too funny - about the gold-bug mating - you're right about the 25 year cycle. People argue that gold is "the only real money" - whatever - it is ultimately backed-up by faith, just like any of the "fiat worthless paper" currencies that gold-bugs deride. Gold isn't edible or practically useful, it is only worth what it can be traded for, like the US dollar or yen. Whenever people start talking about "vast conspiracies" for why their investment isn't working out, you know it's useless to try to reason with them. I'd rather have all my money in real estate right now than gold.

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:30AM EST

If you do the opposite what this guy says you would do well.

david
david - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:32AM EST

when the dollar becomes worthless ! the only thing that will matter is FOOD and GOLD this is scary stuff

Yahoo! Finance User
Yahoo! Finance User - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:37AM EST

You say Gold is no better than a 3% bank interest ?If I had my principal back plus 3% I would have about43% more than I have in my port' now .How great would that be?

Indiana John
Indiana John - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:39AM EST

Bolling looks like a shill for the bullion banks. I doubt that he is retarded, so what is the sense in his nonsense. And what is that smell?

Peter Courtenay
Peter Courtenay - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:41AM EST

The bottom line is that the United Staes Government is a criminal entity and has on a consistant basis stolen the value of the producers for it's criminal parisitic reasons since the inseption of the Constitutionaly illegal Federal Reserve. The underlyinf obligations of the derivitives, SS, retirement funding and all other aspects of the fractionalised and worthless paper currency exceeds, are you sitting down, 1.4 Quadrillion. It will never be paid. It will destroy the paper printed today before 2012, most or all. Continue to accumulate in the physical, gold coin, bullion, silver coin and bullion. It will sep[erate you from the slack jawed masses. The price of gold ans silver in the very near future will exceed any sensible reasonable price. Remember the government in Washington, is the enemy. The macy's Christmas Baby of 1938 approves this message It is offered under the protections of the 1st and 2nd Amendments to the United Staes Constitution as Ratified Jan. 15, 1791

Jay
Jay - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:46AM EST

Gosh o golly, Gold just went up $14.90 per oz to $857.90. If he shorted gold today, he is now under water. Ben and Hank have done their very best to shut out this store of wealth. Spot price has been very volitile in the last several months. But if you were informed back in April - June of 2001 then gold was $256 per oz. That was the time to get in, and not necessarily now. The math says from $260 to $860 = $600 per oz to you, but please do pay your taxes 0.28 X $600 = $168 in taxes and $432 to you. Not bad investment over the 7 years, just in Physical).

anthony
anthony - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:49AM EST

bolling he NO CLUE

David
David - Thursday January 08, 2009 09:50AM EST

When the dollar becomes worthless, the only thing that will matter is food and the ability to keep it. Ammunition. Ammunition will be tradeable to all who have the ability to enforce ownership and personal protection. If you think that currency becoming worthless will not cause mass looting, then you need to wake up.

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