The Yemen news yesterday gave a short lived pop to gold.

The Yemen news yesterday gave a short lived pop to gold. But yet there is something else going. In Asia gold traded as high as 1206. In London and NY it has traded above 1200 only to retreat. Today’s  fourth  quarter GDP report was  a little higher but the annualized was lower than expected which should have been bullish for gold. Reuter’s Michigan Consumer sentiment was slightly higher than expected causing a net zero effect on market direction. The precious metals complex remains under the gun from the expectations of higher interest rates, futures shorts and ETF liquidations. But in the battle of direction it does not seem that shorts hold all the cards as every good dip has been met by buying. The question is who will tire first, the bulls or the bears before a new direction is made clear when the dust finally settles.