Gold and oil prices show continued instability as financial markets falter worldwide, but a new report predicts that the trend will ultimately see dramatic increases over time. For more information, read the following article from Money Morning:

Analysts led by Francisco Blanch at Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc. wrote in a research report that gold could reach $1,500 an ounce. They also predicted that oil would reach $150 a barrel.

In the research note released earlier this week, the analysts said “the unintended consequence of the ongoing financial bailout will be inflationary pressures to the commodity markets.”

The analysts provided no timetable for their predictions.

The $700 billion U.S. bailout—plus the billions of dollars in capital infusions that have been put in place by governments and central banks all over the world—will be highly inflationary, analysts say. Historically, this type of move has been very bad for the U.S. dollar and highly bullish for oil prices.

“This is a very interesting projection,” said Money Morning Investment Director Keith Fitz-Gerald. “I have no idea what they’re basing their numbers on. But I certainly wouldn’t dismiss it based on everything I know about global trends, and my own proprietary calculations—which continue to suggest far higher prices for oil and hard assets than even Merrill is predicting.”

While Fitz-Gerald said that doesn’t mean there won’t be a continued near-term drop in gold and oil prices, he continues to believe the long-term outlook is for much-higher prices.

Full article here