To: bullbud who wrote (8110 ) 2/28/2008 7:36:50 AM From: SliderOnTheBlack Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 50538 re:["I still see a disconnect and think the miners have a very long way to catch up."] In general, I'd agree, and I think we're about to get it. But, costs for many of the miners have increased nearly as fast as the gold price. Reserve and production growth, and attractiveness as a takeout candidate will separate the leaders from the also rans. For example: There is absolutely no reason for any individual investor to own NEM. It's only redeeming value amongst it's competitors is it's deep liquidity and market cap/size for large institutional investors. There is still more leverage in the stocks than in the metal - but, only if you are in the right mining stocks. Individual stock picking will become more, and more critical from here on out... ie: this two year chart: Also, gold the metal (the GLD ETF) could very easily outperform the gold miner indicies on interim legs. Of late, it's had less volatility on the corrections. You can't just throw a dart at the mining stocks any more. The mindset from here on out needs to be: 1. What catalysts are on the near horizon to drive pricessignificantly higher? 2. Are there large classes of new buyers still remaining who will be attracted into gold at higher prices by those catalysts ? And.... you MUST be a successful market timer because of increasing, not decreasing volatility - and ramping risk vs. reward, as the cycle matures. What you want to avoid on interim trading legs, and ultimately at the end of the cycle - is to be standing around looking at a room full of fellow gold bugs and speculators - all stampeeding for that very narrow exit door at the same time....because there are no remaining large groups of new buyers in which to pass of the bag. You must be willing to exit, and take profits while the fundamentals, the technicals and investor sentiment are still strong. ...and I believe that's the single hardest thing for most traders to do. It goes completely against how humans are hard wired. ie: the entire "doomed by their own DNA" reality... That's why Vegas makes billions. It's all about human nature and emotion. It's not about logic, or reality. S.O.T.B.