I like Gold in 2016. From a contrarian sentiment and positioning standpoint, it seems to be setting up quite nicely for turnaround next year. The two big questions though are from what level and when?

Price & Time: Gold – The Year Ahead

Since the top in 2011, I have been viewing this move down as a counter-trend decline within the context of the broader advance that commenced in 1999. The decline through the 50% retracement of the 1999 – 2011 advance around 1080 keeps the metal vulnerable to susceptible to some further weakness below 1,000 oz. If we do get this push lower, my idealized zone from where a meaningful low could form is somewhere around 885 and 600 as it marks the 61.8% and 78.6% retracements of the broader advance.

Timing wise the low earlier this month could be significant, but the start of the 2nd quarter looks to be a more important attraction from a timing perspective as it marks the 38% retracement in time of the 1999 -2011 advance and the 161.8 extension in time of the 2008 – 2011 advance. Continued weakness into this timeframe would be interesting indeed and raise the probability, in my view, for a more important low. November of next year also looks potentially significant from a timing perspective, as it will mark two Armstrong Pi cycles of 3,141 days from that all-important low in 1999. Any strength back through 1200 would also warn that a low of some significance is already in place.