You are here
Craig Hemke: A lesson in open interest
By Craig Hemke
Sprott Money, Toronto
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
I've learned a few things while watching the Comrc precious metals every day for the past 15 years. One lesson involves the timing and scale of new contract issuance during price rallies, and all of us just got reminder of this last week.
Let's start with a matrix of sorts. What you see below isn't universally true, but if you watch and record the daily price and open interest (OI) changes for Comex gold and silver, you'll soon see that it's about 90% accurate.
... Dispatch continues below ...
... ADVERTISEMENT ...
First Majestic Mines Silver and Gold,
Mints Its Own Silver Bars, Ingots, Coins, and Medallions,
and Sells Them Online at Low Premiums
First Majestic is a publicly traded mining company focused on silver and gold production in Mexico and the United States. The company owns and operates four producing underground mines in Mexico: the Cerro Los Gatos Silver Mine (the company holds a 70% interest in the Los Gatos Joint Venture that owns and operates the mine), the Santa Elena Silver and Gold Mine, the San Dimas Silver and Gold Mine, and the La Encantada Silver Mine, as well as a portfolio of development and exploration assets, including the Jerritt Canyon gold project in northeastern Nevada, U.S.A.
In 2025 these mines are projected to produce between 27.8 to 31.2 million silver-equivalent ounces, consisting of 13.6 to 15.3 million ounces of silver and 129,000 to 144,000 ounces of gold, with an all-in sustaining cost of $19.89 to $21.27 per payable silver-equivalent ounce.
For more information about the company, visit:
In a practice unique to First Majestic, the company is proud to manufacture exceptional silver bullion products from its 100%-owned and operated minting facility, First Mint, offering a portion of its own silver production for sale to the public. Bars, ingots, coins, and medallions are available for purchase online at the company's bullion store at low premiums.
To review First Mint’s full product range, visit:
Price up, OI up: Speculators are adding longs, while commercials are adding shorts.
Price up, OI down: A short squeeze is likely underway.
Price down, OI down: Speculators are being flushed out, and commercials are covering shorts.
Price down, OI up: Someone is aggressively shorting, driving prices lower. ...
... For the remainder of the analysis:
https://www.sprottmoney.com/blog/a-lesson-in-open-interest-gold-price-analysis
* * *
Join GATA here:
New Orleans Investment Conference
Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel
Sunday-Wednesday, November 2-5, 2025
https://neworleansconference.com/gata/
* * *
Support GATA by purchasing
Stuart Englert's "Rigged"
"Rigged" is a concise explanation of government's currency market rigging policy and extensively credits GATA's work exposing it. Ten percent of sales proceeds are contributed to GATA. Buy a copy for $14.99 through Amazon:
* * *
Help keep GATA going:
GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at:
To contribute to GATA, please visit:
Donations of $250 will entitle the donor to a 1-ounce silver round commemorating GATA's work:
https://www.gata.org/sites/default/files/GATA-silver-round-front.png
