Here are the spot gold and silver charts. As of 10:14 pm, both are showing strength, based on a weak $USD.

At this time Friday, spot Gold was just under $600.00. It is now almost $630.

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There will be a major focus this week on the intentions of the Bank of Japan to raise rates for the first time in recent years. There are a couple senior Ministers of Government who apparently disagree, but the consensus appears to be that rates will be raised in Japan. That will send the $USD further south if it happens.

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Traders can survey the Australian equity market action at Yahoo Finance (Australia). I always try to do this after a weekend or long weekend in which the gold bullion has moved a couple percent or more, like it did this weekend.

Here are the appropriate links. Some of these stocks are very small cap. The point is to look quickly at the price direction of the group as a whole. That will help you decide where the price of the goldminers is likely to open in the morning in North America, should the spot bullion price remain strong.

Audax to Croesus: ADX, AEX, AGG, BDG, BLN, BSG, CMX, CNT, CRS

Citigold to Goldstream: CTO, DEG, DGR, DOM, DRD, EMP, EQI, GBG, GDM,

Gallery Gold to Lion Group: GGN, GME, GRD, HAO, HER, KCN, LHG, LIM, LSG,

Newcrest Mines to Regis Resources: NCM, NEM, OXR, PEM, PNA, PSV, RAU, RND, RRL,

Resolute to Tectonic: RSG, SBM, SED, SGX, SIB, SRI, TKR, TRO, TRY, TTR

For a detailed quote for each stock in this table, insert the ticker symbol in the following script for Tectonic (TTR) http://au.finance.yahoo.com/q?s=TTR.AX&d=t

You can also go to this link http://www.the-privateer.com/goldprod.html and click through the individual links.

I have mentioned this before, but on days when I believe that the market trend could be in a process of reversal, or declining, or firming up as the spot bullion has showed this weekend, I will go to the Australian market (12 hours ahead of me), and check the price movement of the miner/prospector stocks.

If I am a major trader of gold and goldminer shares, this study becomes part of the daily drill. :-)

Remember: gold is a global commodity. Regardless of the country in which it is mined, or where the shares of the goldminers are listed, the changing price of gold bullion immediately impacts the top line revenue, and the value of the in-ground mineral resource of these companies.

This is one of the Trader Tools in my toolkit. It should be in yours too.