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Update: Gold Regains $954, Oil $108, Euro $1.58
AP
March 27, 2008
Gold prices edged slightly lower Thursday after the dollar gained against the euro, leading investors to sell the precious metal traditionally viewed as a haven against inflation.Other commodities traded mixed, with crude oil briefly rising above $108 a barrel and wheat and soybean futures retreating.
The dollar strengthened against the euro after the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the economy grew slightly in the fourth quarter. The euro bought $1.5766 in Thursday trading, down from $1.5815 in New York late Wednesday.
A stronger greenback often encourages investors to sell hard assets like gold and silver, which are seen as hedge investments during times of economic uncertainty and rising inflation. A stronger dollar also makes dollar-denominated commodities seem more expensive to overseas buyers.
Gold for April delivery inched 40 cents lower to settle $944.20 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after earlier trading as low as $940.
“Gold seems to be following the euro,” said Scott Meyers, analyst with Pioneer Futures in New York. “I think it’s a brief pause in the upward trend but we have to keep an eye on the dollar.”
Other precious metals traded higher. Silver for May delivery rose 16.7 cents to settle at $18.55 an ounce on the Nymex, while May copper added 14.80 cents to settle at $3.873 a pound.
Gold had moved higher in the previous two sessions, breaking out of last week’s commodities slump that saw big drops in everything from corn to copper. Gold has gained 12 percent this year, driven up by U.S. interest rate cuts, record-high crude prices and nervousness about the economy. The metal reached a record 1,033.90 this month, and analysts say it could go even higher.
“We’re going to see sustained acceleration in the (gold) market,” Meyers said. “There’s enough nervousness about the dollar and I don’t know if there’s enough bullets in (Federal Reserve Chairman Ben) Bernanke’s gun to keep lowering rates.”
In energy markets, oil futures briefly rose above $108 a barrel after the bombing of a major oil pipeline in Iraq. Dow Jones Newswires reported that the attack cut off exports from the southern city of Basra, although oil officials said exports weren’t affected.
Light, sweet crude for May delivery added $1.68 to settle at $107.58 a barrel on the Nymex after earlier rising as high as $108.22.
Other energy futures traded mixed. April gasoline futures fell 2.66 cents to settle at $2.7163 a gallon, while April heating oil futures rose by 10.45 cents to settle at $3.1483 a gallon.
In agriculture markets, wheat prices fell after the dollar rebounded.
Wheat for May delivery dropped 19 cents to settle at $10.14 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, after earlier falling as low as $10 a bushel.
Other agriculture futures traded mixed. Corn for May delivery added 3.25 cents to settle at $5.55 a bushel on the CBOT, while May soybean futures declined 24.75 cents to settle at $13.2725.
BlackRock says gold record high may be challenged
Reuters
March 26, 2008
http://youtube.com/watch?v=OvCVEsahhZo
Investment manager BlackRock expects tight gold supply and a gradual rising trend in the price which could lift the metal to new highs above the record $1,030 per ounce hit last week.
“We expect a gradually rising trend in the gold price and if that happens we will get to a new high. We are expecting that positive trend to continue, with volatility over the short term,” said fund manager Evy Hambro, who runs BlackRock’s $17 billion (8.5 billion pound) World Mining Fund and co-manages the $8.9-billion World Gold Fund.
Gold traded at $931.60 an ounce on Tuesday, well off a high of $1,030.80 hit on March 17.
“We think the replacement cost of gold today is much higher than where the market is right now,” Hambro said, adding that even if the price reached the desired level it would have to be sustained for gold companies to invest.
“Just because it reaches that number doesn’t mean it’s going to change anything. We’re not going to see all gold mining CEOs building new projects. The price needs to average that over a decent period of time for them to start investing shareholder capital into new production assets,” he said.
The Gold fund’s top three holdings as at the end of last month were Australia’s Newcrest Mining (NCM.AX: Quote, Profile, Research), Canada’s Barrick Gold (ABX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) and Kinross Gold (K.TO: Quote, Profile, Research), which together accounted for over 22 percent of the fund.
“In the gold space we are very much in a situation where production will continue to likely decline. There are not enough new gold discoveries to replace the gold being mined,” Hambro said.
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