*This interview was recorded on Wednesday
In an interview on Wednesday, Hug noted that precious metals prices were over-extended after both metals had phenomenal runs. In the past weeks, gold hit a record high and silver achieved a multi-year high.
"Silver ran up to $30. Gold ran up to almost $2,100-all a little too quickly in my opinion," said Hug. "That's when the profit-taking set in. It was just a very small door with everybody trying to get out. And then as the market moved lower, people who were in at higher prices were getting margin calls in the afternoon, which just accelerated the move."
Peter Hug has been involved in precious metals since 1974. He began gaining first-hand investment industry experience at Deak-Perera. He served as SVP at Guardian Trust Company, which became one of the largest international trading houses for precious metals. He developed the first precious metals certificate program and the first margin trading accounts for metals on the cash market. Peter has acquired extensive experience in the wholesale markets and international asset diversification. A frequent speaker at precious metals conferences and in the financial media, he is one of the handful of experts who have succeeded through multiple bull and bear cycles on the strength and skills honed during the dramatic fluctuations of the 1980s. As the Director of Kitco's Precious Metals Division, Peter develops newer and better investment options for Kitco customers.