GWR,
As I mentioned in my posting on 6/18 @ 11:10:19, Friday's data points toward Van Eck adjusting positions to correlate with the recent changes in the GDXJ Index.
However, a couple of examples give me pause and prevent me from assigning 100% to the probability. For example, ITG was also utilized as a buyer in certain instances BCM/OK/AVR....(although that in itself doesn't necessarily mean that Van Eck would only utilize Citi.) OK and AVR surprisingly declined despite the wave of purchases completed near the end of market hours..... (not in the after-market). AUMN was essentially flat.
You also made the point on 6/15 @ 11:04:40 that "I would also guess that some short funds might short the index," and that is the one pause I withhold because we know that hedge funds have shorted the juniors for months/years, especially ECU. Perhaps some of the hedgies reversed their shorts on Friday june 17th with this new visible catalyst.
Regardless of the source of buying/selling, it is certainly a positive in many aspects.
Silverbull50
