Tuesday, March 1, 2016. In the overnight session, strong Chinese demand caused the Shanghai Gold Exchange arbitrage versus the spot market to move from a $1 discount to a $1 premium.  The presence of Chinese buyers lifted gold to challenge $1,250, a figure it has tested, yet failed to close above, on three separate occasions this year.  The failure at the $1,250 handle overnight though was followed by further selling in the US when data showed that US factory activity expanded more than economists expected.  The ISM manufacturing index for the month of February climbed to 49.50, the highest since September.  The USD gained ground against a basket of currencies while bids for gold disappeared.

Resistance for gold remains at $1,250 while support is coming in at $1,220, the eighth point on a trendline dating back to February 10th.  Silver has sold off more than gold recently but managed to hold support at its 100 day moving average of $14.65 yesterday.  With the 50 day moving average coming in at $14.55, silver will look to stand its ground at the convergence of the 100 and 50 DMA.