Slope of Hope Blog Posts

Slope initially began as a blog, so this is where most of the website’s content resides. Here we have tens of thousands of posts dating back over a decade. These are listed in reverse chronological order. Click on any category icon below to see posts tagged with that particular subject, or click on a word in the category cloud on the right side of the screen for more specific choices.

Precious Metals

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Phase 1 Completing, Get Ready For Phase 2

After the rally completes, a precious metals pullback is likely upcoming, to be followed by resumed broad market leadership

How We Got Here

2025 was a stellar year for the precious metals, as gold bucked the bearish market trends of late winter and spring, followed by the miners and eventually, silver. After silver wrestled leadership from gold it was up up and away for the precious metals, critical minerals and other commodities. Right into a very high risk situation. Risk was realized, as expected.

Then came the anticipated “multi-month correction”. It lasted about 5 months. Check.

Then came…

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Big Changes Coming

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Stocks, commodities, precious metals are bullish, but post-election balance will shift

It’s all been bullish after the summer swoon, as anticipated. While one reliable indicator we track (a smoothing of the Equity Put/Call ratio using moving averages) has failed to crack SPX into a proper correction, indexes like the SOX and NDX did crack hard. SPX internally rotated its way out of trouble.

From AI-driven Semiconductors to a Software bottom, base and rally. From big Tech (especially AI Hyperscalers) cycling back in, to Healthcare segments like BioPharma and Medical Devices. From gold, silver and gold stocks… to the commodities that they lead. *

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Gold Market Bides Time

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The gold market has a lot going against it at this time (note: “at this time”)

This is a non-comprehensive view of the gold market and what is in store. Please take it as such. The real work will be done in weekly NFTRH reports and in-week updates, as always. And there is a lot of it that needs to be done to correctly define the “top-down” macro and gold’s place within it.

There are so many factors, clues and data points that need to come together in right-minded market analysis to form a dependable narrative. Especially at a time like today with a war going on, the stock market looking at its summer correction and the precious metals deep in correction already.

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Bank Deregulation Upcoming?

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From the Fed’s own orifice, commercial bank deregulation is on the table

This is a brief excerpt from this week’s edition of Notes From the Rabbit Hole, NFTRH 923, discussing proposed bank deregulation, which certainly would dovetail with Chairman Warsh’s stated goals of economic growth while limiting inflation signals. Of course, that second thing would be expected to be temporary, but politically expedient in the near-term. It is only one component of a market report that went into much more macro detail in related areas, currently in play.

Here Piggy Piggy…

piggybank, as bank deregulation is in the offing.
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It’s the Inflation, Stupid

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Inflation is the root of societal evil

“It’s the economy, stupid”… James Carville (1992)

Half right, James. Today it’s the “inflationary component and driver of the economy, stupid”.

As the pre-election info wars start heating up with influencers, propagandists and morons on both sides of the aisle deploying their arsenals of bad information, it is time for this hidden little corner of the financial internet to weigh in. Because lying is bad, and ignorance, insofar as it misdirects the electorate, may be even worse.

Mr. Speaker? Please weigh in for us with some prime propaganda and/or flat out ignorance:

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