Gold

Almost everyone was expecting clearer communications from the Fed today. What we got instead was a bit muddled. And, most investors and analysts tend toward accepting the gloomy side of things until upward momentum is a given. (And we stress "most.")

It was a good day for profit takers, since they are facing a pair of unresolved matters and the climb up in the gold price has been long and strong.

When the U.S. was locked into a severe winter from December through February (heck, the East Coast is actually getting hammered again today) economic activity was squelched. All the things you can imagine working toward that suppression of activity indeed went on.

AFTER THE SHOW  contains a portion  from the Weekend Review (3.14.14)

We are all aware by now of the fact that the shrill dispute in the Ukraine/Crimea is driving gold prices higher. Today silver grabbed some of the same luster, after having had a rugged handful of sessions on a drop in industrial demand from China.