Good morning, Resource Investors.

Profit takers ruled the gold market, content to move capital back to the recovering U.S. dollar. Tuesday was the third down day in a row for the yellow metal. The impetus for the recovery in the greenback appears to be last week's positive employment report that raised expectations for an improving economy. Remarks by the Fed chairman also tempered concerns about inflation. If the trend truly has shifted, analysts say, the recent gold highs above $1,200 per oz. could prove to be the top in this incredible bull market.

The rising dollar also weighed on crude oil prices, which closed down 1.8% in today's floor session. However, a late Tuesday report by the American Petroleum Institute provided additional evidence for rising demand, which sparked buying interest in after-hours electronic trading. Instead of meeting expectations of a more than half-million barrel climb, crude inventories dropped last week by 5.815 million barrels, according to the API.

For more on the reasons behind these moves, see these headlines, where you can catch up on what happened in the resource markets this past week -- and prepare for the next.

James Holter
Resource Investor