A Hint of Gold Backwardation Means Rising Gold Scarcity

`` The bid sputtered 8 years ago, and intermittently since then. Then it has mostly been steady in the past few years. And now there is a hint of it, in the February gold contract. It's just what we call temporary backwardation--a short term blip confined to the near contract that is heading into expiry .... we think it is notable. It means someone or many someones are switching their preference to gold, in spite of the higher yields available in the market now. Or maybe because of it. This preference, unlike speculators buying futures with leverage, is not about betting on price. It is about safety. Gold, unlike a bond, does not default.''