LQwD FinTech Corp (LQWDF)

[Renee]

Effective June 9,2021 Interlapse Technologies Corp. will change to LQwD FinTech Corp.

https://otce.finra.org/otce/dailyList?viewType=Symbol%2FName%20Changes

[the cork]

Looks like this POS is turning into a dud.

From actual mining to "internet platforms" isn't exactly a step in the right direction, for anybody but the management.

Hopefully the CEO I spoke with years ago is out of the picture now, that guy was a real zero.

Good luck to any survivors.

[Golden Cross]

INLAF Tier Change - Pink Current to OTCQB

OTCM
https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/INLAF/disclosure

[Renee]

CRDAF changed to INLAF:

https://otce.finra.org/otce/dailyList?viewType=Symbol%2FName%20Changes

[Renee]

CRDAF: effective May 30,2019 Coronado Resources Ltd. will change to Interlapse Technologies Corp.:

https://otce.finra.org/otce/dailyList?viewType=Symbol%2FName%20Changes

[TenKay]

CRDAF Forward Split 2 for 1 effective August 21, 2018

http://otce.finra.org/DailyList

[Renee]

CRDAF one for 2 reverse split:

http://otce.finra.org/DLSymbolNameChanges

[Renee]

CRDAF one for 2 reverse split:

http://otce.finra.org/DLSymbolNameChanges

[Renee]

CRDAF one for 7 reverse split:

http://www.otcbb.com/asp/dailylist_detail.asp?d=11/13/2014&mkt_ctg=NON-OTCBB

[b4atf]

Coronado moves to the Q sheets!

b4

[b4atf]

Time for a new look at Coronado. Revenues continue to rise and they have cash reserves unlike lots of juniors.

b4

[b4atf]

Coronado is one of the few miners going up during this plunge in silver.
b4

[b4atf]

Coronado is a great opportunity I have a bunch. If someone wants to mod that would be great but I have too many boards already.
b4

[b4atf]

not my best but up 30% and a great buy out candidate!
b4

[the cork]

I do follow them pretty closely b4, albeit for all the wrong reasons.

I've been trying to add at these lower levels to bring the PPS average down so I can sell them sooner.

Nothing wrong with these guys, it's just that I got a couple other producers that are doing better, and I'd like to put the money there.

I had a real brief conversation with the CEO a few months back and he was apparently too busy to give me the time of day.

Metals will go back up in the fall, and when they do ... I'm out

GLTA !!

[b4atf]

Hey cork, I see you have not posted here since Feb. Do you still follow this one. I'm up 46% on Coronado but have been up much more. Kind of a minor holding so I do little diligence.
b4

[kiwisteve]

Two Canadian firms target setting up mining operations

Monday, March 01, 2010 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

TWO CANADIAN mining companies are keen on setting their feet in the Philippine shore, one of which has already acquired three mining concessions.

Coronado Resources Ltd. and Crazy Horse Resources, Inc. separately told the Toronto Stock Exchange earlier this month that they have already made progresses in their plans to take part in the exploration of the country’s mineral resources.

“Coronado Resources is progressing on the due diligence to acquire several gold mining concessions located in the prolific Masbate gold region in the Philippines,” Coronado said in a statement.

Coronado said it has already acquired three mining concessions since first disclosing its plan a month ago. The concessions are located in Panique, Rudy and Capsay in the Masbate province in the Bicol region.

Coronado said it is also pursuing an additional mining concession totaling 300 hectares (ha.) in the same region and will continue to look for known mining areas it can explore. “[The company] is currently evaluating two gold properties near Baguio City totaling 10,530 ha. that have recently been made available,” Coronado said.

Coronado Resources is currently focused on its wholly owned Madison Gold and Copper property in Montana, USA. It has a market capitalization of $4.34 million.

Meanwhile, Crazy Horse Resources said it has written a letter of intent with Asian Arc Minerals Corp. to buy the latter’s entire stake in two mining exploration permit applications covering the Kayapa Copper-Gold Porphyry Project in Nueva Viscaya province.

The Kayapa Project is under two mining exploration permit applications covering a combined total area of 8,545.5 ha.

Crazy Horse said the areas host a large and only partly explored copper-gold porphyry deposit similar to other copper-gold porphyry deposits previously mined in the country.

“An economically significant aspect of the explored portion of the project is the potential to quickly define a viable copper oxide deposit,” Crazy Horse said.

The partly explored deposits, the foreign miner said, was done by Hong Kong-backed Philex Mining Corp. between 1966 and 1979.

Crazy Horse said it has already raised $475,000 through private placement to finance the project. “The proceeds of the private placement will be used to provide working capital to complete due diligence. The proceeds will not be sufficient and the company expects to raise additional financing,” Crazy Horse said.

Crazy Horse Resources is a mineral exploration company that owns interest in the Iron River Property located on Vancouver Island. It has a market capitalization of $7 million.

http://www.bworldonline.com/main/content.php?id=7004

[the cork]

Gold slides as China move boosts dollar
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Fri Feb 12, 2010 8:54am EST


LONDON (Reuters) - Gold was down 1 percent in Europe on Friday as the dollar hit a seven-month high versus a basket of currencies after China unveiled a surprise hike in commercial banks' reserve requirements.

China

The euro slipped to a nine-month low against the dollar after a European Union summit the previous day failed to quell investors' concerns on Greece, and as China's surprise monetary tightening hit assets seen as higher risk.

Spot gold was bid at $1,084.30 an ounce at 1317 GMT (8:17 a.m. EST) versus $1,095.85 late in New York on Thursday. In that session it hit a one-week high of $1,097.75 an ounce as investors bought the metal amid fears over the stability of paper currencies.

Michael Widmer, an analyst at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch, said gold was coming under pressure as the dollar appreciated broadly on the back of the China news.

"We always see that when the markets sell off on the back of a macro event, gold sells off along with those," he added. "Metals are lower, equities are lower as well and gold is falling along with those."

U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell $13.20 to $1,081.00 an ounce.

The dollar hit its highest since late July against a basket of currencies on Friday after China surprised markets by raising commercial banks' reserve requirements.

Strength in the U.S. unit curbs gold's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Other commodities also declined, with oil tumbling 2 percent to below $74 a barrel and base metals copper and zinc sliding nearly 3 percent at their lows.

European shares turned negative and U.S. stock futures pointed lower after China's central bank raised reserve requirements.

EURO-PRICED GOLD

Gold priced in euros performed particularly well on Thursday, rising 2.8 percent to a peak of 802.73 euros an ounce, within 10 euros of the record high it hit in December.

The metal steadied on Friday to 798.85 euros an ounce from 799.49 late in the last session, but from a technical viewpoint it is well positioned to make fresh gains, analysts said.

"Since early December, gold denominated in euros has been locked in a well-defined contracting range," said technical analysts at Barclays Capital. "Now that range is on the verge of giving way for a resumption of the larger bull trend.

"A break of 802 would confirm (this), pointing to a re-test of the 813 December high. However, this should prove to be only a temporary stopping point as the measured move... targets the 856 area before greater signs of topping emerge."

Elsewhere demand for gold-backed exchange-traded funds remained lackluster, with holdings of the world's largest gold ETF, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, steady on Thursday, the trust said on its website.

Among other precious metals, silver was at $15.34 an ounce against $15.64. Platinum was at $1,496 an ounce against $1,528 and palladium at $412.50 against $419.50.

Toyota Motor Corp's (7203.T) safety recalls will hurt U.S. dealer sales in the first quarter, two major U.S. auto dealership groups said on Thursday.

Platinum and palladium are heavily exposed to the automotive market, as they are primarily consumed by carmakers for use in catalytic converters.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100212

[the cork]

Gold climbs as EU aid plan for Greece lifts euro
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Thu Feb 11, 2010 8:12am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold climbed toward $1,080 an ounce in Europe on Thursday as the euro rose against the dollar and Bund futures extended losses after the European Union president said a deal to help Greece had been reached.

Spot gold was bid at $1,078.35 an ounce at 1241 GMT (7:41 a.m. EST), against $1,071.55 late in New York on Wednesday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 10 cents to $1,078.80.

Gains in gold are being capped, however, by a relatively weak technical picture and concern over the medium-term outlook for the euro, which will influence investment demand.

"It is very much investor sentiment which is going to set prices in the first half of this year," said Barclays Capital analyst Suki Cooper.

"We think there is likely to be further downside from here as the first half progresses, mostly down to the fact that our FX strategists see the euro-dollar moving toward $1.35.

"Given the technical picture looks quite weak at the moment, and the macro factors for gold are quite weak, we could see more downside before sentiment turns more positive."

The euro climbed against the dollar on Thursday, boosting gold prices, after EU president Herman Van Rompuy said European leaders had reached a deal to provide aid to Greece in a move to stave off a broader crisis in the euro zone.

A Spanish source told Reuters that details of the aid would be worked out at the latest by Tuesday, when EU finance ministers are due to hold a meeting.

The dollar is benefiting from euro weakness rather than any innate strength of its own, analysts said, and so could be due a correction if and when euro zone debt problems are resolved.

Among other commodities, oil prices climbed toward $75 a barrel on Thursday as a positive assessment of demand growth and the rescue plan for Greece buoyed prices.

CHINA BUYS

On the physical markets, analysts reported good demand for gold in Asia ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday beginning this weekend.

"Even if Chinese demand slows during and after the Chinese New Year festivities, gold demand in India and other emerging nations appears likely to remain firm and at the least provide a cushion to prices," said HSBC in a note.

Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust, were steady on Wednesday. The fund reported its first inflow this year after prices fell to three-month lows on Friday, but holdings have since steadied.

On the supply side, South Africa's statistics office said gold mine output fell 8.8 percent in December in volume terms. The republic was the world's third-largest mine producer in 2008 with output of 233.3 tonnes.

But South Africa's fourth-biggest gold producer, DRDGOLD, reported a 4 percent rise in gold output for the quarter to December and a return to profit owing to lower operating costs.

Among other precious metals, silver was at $15.34 an ounce against $15.18. Platinum was at $1,514.50 an ounce against $1,507, and palladium at $414 against $411.50.

Aquarius Platinum said in a conference call it sees attributable platinum group metals production at 445,000-450,000 ounces this year.

Constraints on platinum output from South Africa this year are a potential support to prices. South Africa is the source of four out of five ounces of mined platinum supply.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100211

[the cork]

Copper 2.9732 - up on weak dollar, better risk sentiment
Wed Feb 10, 2010 6:30am EST

By Rebekah Curtis

LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Copper rose on Wednesday as the prospect of a bailout for debt-laden Greece improved risk appetite and the dollar dipped against other major currencies.

Copper for three-months delivery MCU3 on the London Metal Exchange traded at $6,630 a tonne at 1109 GMT from a close of $6,590 on Tuesday.

Market confidence improved after a senior German coalition source said on Tuesday that European governments have agreed in principle to help heavily indebted Greece. Global stock markets also rallied on improved risk sentiment. [MKTS/GLOB]

However, a German government spokesman said a decision had not yet been reached. [ID:nSGE61801C]

"The market is following currencies quite closely. Currencies are flying around a lot," said Alex Heath, head of base metals for London's RBC Capital Markets.

The dollar weakened against a basket of currencies .DXY, making dollar-priced commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies. The euro EUR= was little changed against the dollar.

"The markets are jittery about whether a financial bailout plan is going to be announced or not. You want to make sure someone stuck their finger in the dyke properly," Heath said.

"It looks like the main strong euro partners are going to come to the aid of the weaker players. That's what the euro's all about, being part of a club and looking after members."

CHINA IMPORTS

Data showed China's January imports of unwrought copper and semi-finished copper products fell 21 percent on the month, to 292,096 tonnes, but the fall was much lower than market players had estimated. [ID:nTOE61805O]

For a graphic of Chinese copper imports, click: here

The arbitrage between Shanghai and LME copper stood around 1,500 yuan while the gap between zinc markets was about 800 yuan, both of which should encourage imports.

For a graphic on arbitrages, click: here

Analysts expected trading to quieten down in the lead up to the Chinese new year holiday that will close the Chinese market for a week from Feb. 14.

But many analysts were confident the longer-term outlook for base metals demand and prices remained strong.

"The global economic recovery is still on track, Chinese demand is still very robust, policy makers are in no rush to reduce liquidity, and many base metals are still facing structural supply shortages," Leon Westgate, an analyst at Standard Bank, said in a note.

Aluminium MAL3 traded at $2,053 from $2,056.

Stocks of aluminium stand near 4.6 million tonnes, but fell 5,750 tonnes to continue a recent trend of drops that has brought stocks away from a record high above the 4.6 million-tonne level.

Zinc MZN3 was at $2,130 from $2,104 and battery material lead MPB3 was at $2,067 from $2,032.5.

Tin MSN3 traded at $15,750 from $15,500 and nickel MNI3 was at $17,914 from $17,550. Metal Prices at 1112 GMT Metal Last Change Pct Move End 2009 Ytd Pct

move COMEX Cu 297.95 -0.40 -0.13 332.75 -10.46 LME Alum 2048.00 -8.00 -0.39 2230.00 -8.16 LME Cu 6630.00 40.00 +0.61 7375.00 -10.10 LME Lead 2061.00 28.50 +1.40 2432.00 -15.25 LME Nickel 17805.00 255.00 +1.45 18525.00 -3.89 LME Tin 15675.00 175.00 +1.13 16950.00 -7.52 LME Zinc 2125.00 21.00 +1.00 2560.00 -16.99 SHFE Alu 16620.00 155.00 +0.94 17160.00 -3.15 SHFE Cu* 54660.00 1460.00 +2.74 59900.00 -8.75 SHFE Zin 17685.00 375.00 +2.17 21195.00 -16.56 ** 1st contract month for COMEX copper * 3rd contract month for SHFE AL, CU and ZN SHFE ZN began trading on 26/3/07

http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSLDE6191CQ20100210

[the cork]

Gold climbs above $1,080 as euro rises
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Wed Feb 10, 2010 7:32am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold rose above $1,080 an ounce in Europe on Wednesday as the euro rebounded versus the dollar on prospects of an imminent rescue package for Greece, increasing the metal's appeal as an alternative asset.

Spot gold was bid at $1,080.45 an ounce at 1200 GMT (7 a.m. EST), against $1,076.95 late in New York on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $4.40 to $1,081.10 an ounce.

Richcomm Global Services senior analyst Pradeep Unni said gold's heavy losses had introduced a weaker note in gold's technical position last week which persisted.

But he added: "The market is gaining momentum on hopes that Germany will provide loan guarantees in an effort to calm fears of a massive government default which has been directly undermining the strength of the euro-zone and its currency."

The euro rose to session highs against the dollar on Wednesday after German government coalition sources said bilateral financial aid could be provided for Greece.

Sources also said an agreement on the details of how Greece would be helped and by which countries could be finalized on the sidelines of an EU summit on Thursday.

The dollar rose last week versus the euro as worries over the health of some euro zone economies, including Greece, Spain and Portugal, hurt the single currency.

Strength in the U.S. unit curbs gold's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

The markets are also awaiting Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony before the House Financial Services Committee hearing on unwinding Federal Reserve liquidity programmes at 1500 GMT (10 a.m. EST).

"The release of... Bernanke's speech on the Fed's strategy to cease its policy of extremely low interest rates will receive particular interest," said Commerzbank in a note.

OIL SLIPS

Among other commodities, oil rose above $74 a barrel on Wednesday, bouncing from earlier losses, as the euro extended gains versus the dollar on hopes for a bailout for Greece.

Gold tends to track crude prices, as the metal can be bought as a hedge against oil-led inflation.

On the wider markets, world stocks rose and European shares extended gains as sentiment improved on signs the European Union may arrange a bailout for troubled Greece.

On the physical side, Indian gold demand tailed off as prices recovered, while holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust exchange-traded fund were unchanged.

Among other precious metals, silver was at $15.54 an ounce against $15.41, tracking gains in gold.

Holding's of the world's largest silver-backed ETF, New York's iShares Silver Trust, have risen nearly 46 tonnes this week, suggesting investment demand for the precious metal is strong.

Elsewhere platinum at $1,519.50 an ounce against $1,502, and palladium at $418 against $415.

"Key near-term support is seen from seven-month trendlines in palladium and platinum at $386 and $1,468, respectively," Barclays Capital said in a note.

"Breaks here would likely prove to be the catalyst for the next leg of precious metal weakness."

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE5B10OV20100210

[the cork]

Gold climbs towards $1,070 as dollar slips
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Tue Feb 9, 2010 7:29am EST


LONDON (Reuters) - Gold prices rose in Europe on Tuesday as the dollar weakened versus the euro amid speculation a rescue plan for struggling Greece may be arranged soon, enhancing the precious metal's appeal as an alternative asset.

Spot gold was bid at $1,068.20 an ounce at 1207 GMT (7:07 a.m. EST), against $1,062.80 late in New York on Monday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $1.80 to $1,067.50 an ounce.

Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS Finance in Geneva, said the euro's recovery was an excuse for buyers to get back into the market.

"After Friday's free-fall, markets have been consolidating yesterday and so far today within a range of $1,050-$1,075," he said. "Physical demand is still high out of Far East and India, so (there is) good support in the market."

The euro extended gains versus the dollar on Tuesday as investors covered short positions on market speculation that some form of bailout will soon be organized for Greece.

News that European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet was leaving a meeting of central bankers in Sydney early to attend a European Council meeting on February 11 prompted speculation a plan was being discussed.

The euro's slide last week amid fears over the indebtedness of some peripheral euro zone economies such as Greece, Portugal and Spain sent gold prices to a three-month low of $1,043.75.

If these issues are successfully addressed, it is likely to provide a fillip to the euro, and consequently to gold.

"The issue of sovereign risk, which is currently working in the dollar's favor and against the euro and therefore gold, could come back to haunt the dollar," HSBC said in a note.

"If the European Union member nations begin to address their fiscal problems and the U.S. fails to make progress on similar fiscal issues before the November elections, the dollar may find itself on the defensive later in the year. This could help boost gold," it said.

ETF HOLDINGS STEADY

China Investment Corp CIC.UL, the Asian giant's $300 billion sovereign wealth fund, said it had invested $155.6 million in the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, New York's SPDR Gold Trust.

The trust's holdings were unchanged on Monday after reporting their first inflow of 2010 after spot prices fell sharply on Friday.

Gold ETFs issue securities backed by physical stocks of bullion, giving the investor exposure to the underlying gold price without taking delivery of the commodity itself.

Among other precious metals, silver was at $15.16 an ounce against $14.98, tracking gold higher. Platinum was at $1,484 an ounce against $1,472, while palladium was at $409.50 against $404.

"Both metals have tracked gold and the dollar overnight and will be looking to the currencies and broad risk sentiment for direction," said James Moore, an analyst at TheBullionDesk.com.

The world's number one carmaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) said it is recalling nearly half a million of its flagship Prius and other hybrid cars for braking problems.

BMW (BMWG.DE), the world's biggest premium automaker, said on Tuesday its group vehicle sales rose 16.6 percent in January to 82,120 units, and reiterated its target to boost 2010 unit sales at a single-digit rate.

Platinum and palladium are highly exposed to the automotive sector, as more than half of demand for the metals each year comes from carmakers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100209

[the cork]

Gold climbs as dollar retreats
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Mon Feb 8, 2010 7:24am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold rose in Europe on Monday, rebounding from Friday's three-month low, as the dollar weakened against the euro, encouraging investors to buy into the metal at lower prices.

Spot gold was at $1,068.10 an ounce at 1202 GMT (7:02 a.m. EST) versus $1,065.55 late in New York on Friday. In that session it slid to $1,043.75, its lowest since November 2, as the euro fell on fears over the outlook for some smaller euro zone economies.

"We are having a bit of a run-up, helped by euro/dollar strengthening a little post the weekend G7 meeting," said Calyon analyst Robin Bhar.

"There has been a bit of bargain hunting at the lows," he added. "We fell to nearly $1,040 on Friday, so that has seen a bit of trade interest and some investor positioning emerging, which has given a boost to the market."

U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $15.80 to $1,068.00 an ounce.

The dollar slipped versus the euro on Monday, but the single currency stayed close to multi-month lows on fears about the outlook for some euro zone countries.

A two-day meeting of the Group of Seven ministers and central bank governors in northern Canada this weekend was capped by reassurances about debt-strapped Greece and agreement that banks should pay for future rescue funds.

But dealers said investors were disappointed the meeting did not result in concrete action to tackle sovereign debt issues in countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain.

Concern over the outlook for smaller euro zone economies was a major driver of the sharp rise in risk aversion late last week, which saw hefty selling of the euro and assets perceived as higher risk, such as equities and commodities.

ETF HOLDINGS RISE

Gold's price drop prompted some fresh interest in the metal, with the world's biggest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reporting its first inflow since December on Friday.

From a technical perspective, resistance near the $1,050 level held on Friday, preventing a move down toward the 200-day moving average near $1,020 an ounce. A breach of this area would lead to a sharper sell-off, analysts said.

"Copper, WTI (U.S. crude futures) and gold have all come down to look at the 200-day moving average, which is quite an influential level," said Bhar. Gold's 200-day moving average is just above $1,020 an ounce.

"The 200-day and 100-day moving averages are often targeted by longer-term players -- funds, hedge funds -- as an indicator of whether to buy or sell, so that could be influential going forward," he added.

Among other precious metals, silver was flat at $15.11 an ounce, platinum was at $1,477.50 an ounce against $1,479.50 and palladium at $398.50 from $402.50.

While all precious metals are to an extent tied to the dollar, platinum group metals' greater exposure to the economic cycle means they could be better supported than gold.

"With the complex largely held hostage to EUR-USD movements, the near-term outlook looks shaky," said Morgan Stanley in note. "We do expect, however, platinum and palladium to continue to outperform."

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B10OV20100208

[the cork]

1058.30 - Gold hits 3-month low as risk appetite retreats
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Fri Feb 5, 2010 7:59am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold slipped nearly 1 percent to its lowest since early November on Friday as the dollar rose on rising risk aversion due to fears over the fiscal health of peripheral euro zone economies.

Equities and many other commodities also fell, with European shares hitting three-month lows, copper falling to its weakest since October and the euro-dollar reaching its lowest in more than eight months as concern grew over euro zone sovereign debt.

Spot gold was bid at $1,053.65 an ounce at 1233 GMT, against $1,062.60 late in New York on Thursday. U.S. gold futures for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell $8.70 to $1,054.30 an ounce.

The dollar hit a seven-month high versus a currency basket and its strongest since May against the euro on Friday as a widening in euro zone government bond spreads highlighted fears over the indebtedness of the region's weaker economies.

"It looks like the next few days are going to see further weakness in gold and further strength in the dollar," said Standard Chartered analyst Dan Smith. "We see $1,020 an ounce as the next point to look for."

Growing sovereign debt problems in the euro zone, highlighted by European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet in a press conference on Thursday, and rising U.S. jobless claims have sparked jitters about the global economic recovery.

Commodities suffered almost across the board as the U.S. currency rose, making dollar-priced assets more expensive for holders of other currencies.

European stocks slid to their lowest since November on Friday and Asian stocks fell to five-month lows as investors dumped riskier assets.

JOBS DATA EYED

The financial markets are now awaiting further clues on the health of the U.S. economy from the release of non-farm payrolls data at 1330 GMT, seen as a key indicator of economic health.

"A considerably stronger reading than the 10,000 forecast (increase in jobs) could spark a rebound in risk appetite," said TheBullionDesk.com analyst James Moore.

"However on the flip side a worse reading could trigger a deeper correction," he added.

Standard Chartered's Smith said the growing risk aversion permeating the markets meant the jobless figures would have to be much better than expected to change the market direction.

"In the last few days we have seen anything that is vaguely negative leapt on, and anything positive generally being ignored," he said. "The numbers will have to be extremely good to make any difference to the current market mood."

However, premiums for gold bars in Asia were steady above $1 on Friday as jewejewelersllers made last-minute purchases ahead of the Lunar New Year, with bargain hunting from other Asian consumers also emerging as bullion held near three-month lows. <GOL/AS>

Silver was at $15.12 an ounce versus $15.23 and platinum was at $1,480 an ounce versus $1,499.50.

Palladium, a smaller and less liquid market than other precious metals, hit a 2010 low of $379.50 an ounce and was later at $388.50 against $406.50.

Holdings of new platinum- and palladium-backed ETFs launched in New York last month have stabilized after rising sharply in the first days of their existence, prompting price gains.

Holdings of ETFS Physical Platinum Shares (PPLT.P) were unchanged for a third session at 244,941 ounces, while those of ETFS Physical Palladium shares were steady for a seventh day.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100205

[the cork]

PRECIOUS-Gold 1072.50 - lower, wary of firm dollar
Wed Feb 3, 2010 7:14pm EST
6:21am PST

TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Gold prices inched lower on
Thursday, keeping a bearish tone as investors cautiously awaited
U.S. jobs data later this week that could further boost the
dollar, which would undermine bullion's appeal as a currency
hedge.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold XAU= was down 0.2 percent at $1,106.80 an
ounce, compared with New York's notional close of $1,108.85. Spot
gold rose to a peak of $1,124.45 on Wednesday, its highest since
Jan. 20.

* U.S. gold futures for April delivery GCJ0 eased 0.4
percent to $1,107.70 an ounce, compared with $1,112 an ounce on
the COMEX division of NYMEX.

* Gold turned lower on Wednesday, snapping a two-day winning
streak as a weak euro against the dollar amid fiscal worries in
euro-zone countries weighed down on sentiment.

* The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings eased 0.14 percent to
1,110.339 tonnes as of Feb. 3, down 1.583 tonnes from the
previous business day. [GOL/SPDR]

* ETF Securities said total assets of its four U.S. precious
metals exchange-traded products, namely physical gold, silver,
platinum and palladium, now exceeded $1 billion. The company
launched its silver ETF, its first U.S. product, in July.

MARKET NEWS

* U.S. stocks mostly fell on Wednesday, partly weighed by
President Barack Obama's pledge to complete banking and
healthcare reform, which revived fears of increased regulation.
[.N]

* Obama reiterated his commitment to overhaul the healthcare
system and impose stricter regulatory reforms on Wall Street.
[ID:nN03172967]

* The dollar kept its firm tone on Thursday after climbing
broadly the day before on improving U.S. job and industry data,
while fears Portugal could be the next euro zone country to face
a debt crisis lifted the greenback against the euro. [USD/]

DATA EVENTS

* The following data is expected on Thursday: ECON

- German industrial orders for December. (1100 GMT)

- Bank of England rate decision. (1200 GMT)

- European Central Bank rate decision. (1245 GMT)

- ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet speaks. (1330 GMT)

RELATED NEWS

>Gold drops as weak euro dents sentiment [GOL/]

>Copper, grains down over 3 pct on dlr surge [COM/WRAP]

>China favours Australia, Canada mining sectors[ID:nLDE6120J6]

>Ovoca Gold eyes niche in Russia mine sector [ID:nLDE6120QG]

>Etruscan sees first gold from Agbaou mine by '12[ID:nWEA8192]

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 2353 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg 2 Day chg MA 30 RSI
Spot gold $1108.20 -$0.65 -0.06% -4.29% $1112.43 58
Spot silver $16.33 -$0.01 -0.06% -10.18% $17.54 40
Spot plat $1571.50 -$1.00 -0.06% -0.51% $1538.94 60
COMEX gold $1109.10 -$0.80 -0.07% -0.75% $1113.45 55
TOCOM gold 3,255 -1 -0.03% +0.81% 3,275 56
TOCOM plat 4,562 -19 -0.41% +1.42% 4,537 57
Currencies
Euro/dlr $1.390 $0.000 -0.01% -0.46%
Dlr/yen 90.89 -0.10 -0.11% +0.56%
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Reporting by Chikako Mogi; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

http://www.reuters.com/article/goldMktRpt/idUSTOE6120AM20100204

[Gold3000]

Coronado's Madison estimate of 18,000 t at 0.4 opt Au
Ticker Symbol: C:CRD

Coronado's Madison estimate of 18,000 t at 0.4 opt Au

Coronado Resources Ltd (C:CRD)
Shares Issued 23,069,048
Last Close 2/2/2010 $0.22
Wednesday February 03 2010 - News Release

Mr. Eugene Larabie reports

CORONADO'S UNDERGROUND DRILL PROGRAM PROVES AN IN-HOUSE ESTIMATE OF 18,000 TONS AVERAGING .481 OZ/T GOLD; SYSTEM IS OPEN AT DEPTH ON ITS MADISON GOLD COPPER PROJECT IN MONTANA, USA

Coronado Resources Ltd. has released gold estimates from its recent diamond-drill program on its wholly owned Madison gold/copper property in Montana. The results from this drilling allowed Coronado's chief on-site geologist/engineer to calculate an in-house estimate of 18,000 tons grading 0.481 ounces per ton gold (16.50 grams per million tonnes Au). The bulk of the gold from this estimate is at a vertical depth of 60 feet below the recently mined gold zone. Underground work is presently under way to allow this block to be extracted. The decline will be advanced 360 feet, which will take approximately two months. The mining, trucking and processing is estimated to be in the order of $325 per ton.

Drilling also confirms that the gold zone continues to plunge 70 degrees to the southwest and remains open to depth, below the deepest drill hole. Coronado is extremely pleased with these results as they allow the company to move forward with limited share dilution. Several new copper zones have been encountered and are presently being assayed evaluated for additional drilling or mine-development consideration.

The recent drilling consisted of five holes designed to test the size and grade of the advancing mineralization within the main gold zone with an additional three holes being exploration holes testing other promising areas. All holes reported gold intercepts as reported in Stockwatch on Jan. 25.

? 2010 Canjex Publishing Ltd.

[the cork]

Gold at 1110.60 Copper at 3.0648 - Declines
in New York as Rebounding Dollar Curbs Demand

By Nicholas Larkin and Jae Hur

Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Gold fell for the first time in three days in New York as a rebounding dollar curbed demand for the metal as an alternative investment.

The U.S. Dollar Index, a six-currency gauge of the greenback’s strength, gained for the first time in three days, erasing a drop of as much as 0.4 percent. Gold, which earlier climbed to a two-week high, typically moves inversely to the U.S. currency.

Gold is “trading in an opposite direction to the U.S. currency, rather than on actual physical demand or its risk- defense qualities,” Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital in London, said in a report.

Gold futures for April delivery fell $4.80, or 0.4 percent, to $1,113.20 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex unit at 8:28 a.m. local time, erasing a gain of as much as 0.8 percent. Gold for immediate delivery in London was 0.2 percent lower at $1,111.82.

The metal increased to $1,118.50 an ounce in the morning “fixing” in London, used by some mining companies to sell production, from $1,111 at yesterday’s afternoon fixing.

“Price levels below $1,100 an ounce apparently attract buyers who consider this as a lucrative entry point,” Eugen Weinberg, a senior analyst with Commerzbank AG, wrote in a note to clients.

Slumping Dollar

Gold futures climbed for a ninth year in 2009, reaching a record $1,227.50 an ounce on Dec. 3 as the dollar slumped on record-low interest rates and a surge in government stimulus spending. Bullion fell in the prior three weeks as the dollar strengthened and the Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index of European shares slid last month the most in 11 months.

The equity-market decline may worsen amid persistent U.S. joblessness and economic growth that trails economists’ forecasts, said Mohamed A. El-Erian, whose firm runs the world’s biggest mutual fund. Investors have wrongly priced in an “orderly” withdrawal of stimulus measures, a rebound in bank lending and coordinated government policy to restore growth, El- Erian, Pacific Investment Management Co.’s chief executive officer, wrote in a Bloomberg News column.

Bullion will average $1,135 an ounce this year, up from a previous forecast of $1,050, UBS AG said in a report yesterday. Newmont Mining Corp., the world’s second-largest gold producer by sales, reaffirmed its forecast for the metal to rise to $1,350 by the end of 2010.

SPDR Holdings

“I feel pretty confident that as things move forward, we will see continued support for the gold price,” CEO Richard T. O’Brien said today at the company’s $2.9 billion Boddington operation, Australia’s biggest gold mine. “No question it will be volatile, but we will see support.”

Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest exchange- traded fund backed by bullion, were unchanged at 1,111.92 metric tons yesterday, according to the company’s Web site.

Silver for March delivery in New York fell 1 percent to $16.58. Platinum for April delivery lost 0.6 percent to $1,570 an ounce and palladium for March delivery slipped 0.6 percent to $442 an ounce.

Platinum and palladium are mainly used in automotive pollution-control devices and jewelry. Vehicle sales in the U.S. rose 6.3 percent in January, Autodata Corp. said yesterday.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aNVazHPeTjJ4

[the cork]

PRECIOUS-Gold steady near $1,105; eyes U.S. jobs data
Mon Feb 1, 2010 10:31pm EST
By Miho Yoshikawa

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Gold prices held steady near $1,105
an ounce on Tuesday as investors refrained from betting heavily
in either direction ahead of a key U.S. jobs report due later
this week.

Bullion jumped more than 2 percent the previous day after
data showed the U.S. manufacturing sector grew in January at a
faster rate than expected, suggesting an improving outlook for
the economy and inflationary pressures ahead. [ID:nN01363414]

"People are thinking of inflation, and this has created a
situation that makes it difficult to sell gold," which is
traditionally used as a hedge against inflation, said Kazuhiko
Saito, chief analyst at Tokyo's Fujitomi Co Ltd.

Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,105.45 an ounce at
0238 GMT, from New York's notional close of $1,105.30.

Investors are now turning their attention to the U.S.
employment data, due on Friday, for further clues on the health
of the economy, Saito said.

Economists polled by Reuters are looking for a slim gain in
U.S. payrolls in January, though it is not expected to be enough
to put a dent in the 10 percent unemployment rate.
[ID:nN29135790]

"People are expecting strong figures from the employment
data, but it could turn out to be a case of selling on the news,"
Saito said.

He added that gold was also looking to the New York stock
market for direction, because it provides a reflection of the
economic outlook.

U.S. stocks rose on Monday as the better-than-expected data
on the manufacturing sector and earnings from Exxon Mobil revived
bullish sentiment after stocks closed out their worst month in
almost a year. [.N]

U.S. gold futures for April delivery GCJ0 rose 0.1 percent
to $1,106.60 an ounce on the COMEX division of NYMEX.

A solid economic recovery would also help boost precious
metals platinum and palladium, which rose on Monday after the
manufacturing data, due to their industrial applications as auto
catalysts.

Platinum XPT= was flat at $1,548.50.

Palladium XPD= was at $431.25 per ounce compared with
$428.50 in New York.

The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,111.922 tonnes as
of Feb. 1, unchanged from the previous business day. [GOL/SPDR]

The world's largest silver-backed exchange-traded fund, the
iShares Silver Trust (SLV), said its silver holdings stood at
9,355.98 tonnes as of Feb. 1, down 0.3 percent from the previous
business day. [ID:TOE6100AF]

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 0237 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover
Spot Gold 1105.10 -0.20 -0.02 0.86
Spot Silver 16.67 0.03 +0.18 -0.95
Spot Platinum 1549.00 0.50 +0.03 5.59
Spot Palladium 431.25 2.75 +0.64 6.35
TOCOM Gold 3239.00 99.00 +3.15 -0.61 57035
TOCOM Platinum 4519.00 145.00 +3.32 3.15 11528
TOCOM Silver 49.30 1.80 +3.79 -4.64 418
TOCOM Palladium 1256.00 54.00 +4.49 7.81 367
Euro/Dollar 1.3911
Dollar/Yen 90.82
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Reporting by Miho Yoshikawa; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

http://www.reuters.com/article/goldMktRpt/idUSTOE61103R20100202

[the cork]

Gold rises above $1,080/oz as dollar falters
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Mon Feb 1, 2010 8:03am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold firmed in Europe on Monday as the dollar extended losses versus the euro after stronger than expected euro zone manufacturing data, boosting interest in the precious metal as an alternative asset.

Prices remain vulnerable to further losses, however, after falling 1.6 percent in January, analysts said, with the dollar's upward trend expected to resume.

Spot gold was bid at $1,084.60 an ounce at 1238 GMT, against $1,079.20 late in New York on Friday. U.S. gold futures for February delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $1.80 to $1,084.80 an ounce.

"Gold has done relatively well, looking at what has been happening in other commodities," said David Thurtell, an analyst at Citigroup. "The dollar has been strong, and gold was always going to struggle on the basis of that."

"It is difficult to see the dollar weakening further," he said. "People have definitely been seeking out gold as a currency hedge, and if that hedge is no longer needed, that is going to cap some of the demand for gold."

The dollar edged lower versus the euro on Monday, but the single currency continued to hover close to seven-month lows amid concerns over the fiscal health of some euro zone countries.

The dollar stayed close to a six-month high versus a currency basket after Friday's stronger-than-forecast gross domestic product data suggested the United States is recovering faster than the euro zone and Japan.

Strength in the U.S. unit curbs gold's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Among other commodities, oil steadied but traded close to six-week lows amid fresh concerns over the outlook for global growth. Industrial metals were under pressure meanwhile from expectations China may tighten monetary policy.

Gold tends to track crude prices, as the metal can be bought as a hedge against oil-led inflation.

ETF HOLDINGS DECLINE

Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust were unchanged on Friday, but down 21.7 tonnes or 1.9 percent in January.

Holdings of the biggest silver ETF, the iShares Silver Trust, also declined 1.1 percent or 107.99 tonnes last month. Analysts said outflows from precious metals ETFs could undermine prices if they persist.

In India, historically the world's biggest gold consumer, demand for the metal abated on Monday as the rupee weakened versus the dollar after buying picked up in January when traders stocked in anticipation of wedding demand.

Analysts said with consumption weak, gold prices were looking vulnerable to a further correction if the dollar strengthened further.

"Speculators and retail investors are still reluctant to re-enter the market, having booked profits during the latest correction," said VTB Capital analyst Andrey Kryuchenkov. "The market was barely clinging to key support above $1,082/1,080."

"However a stronger dollar from here could well push gold prices back toward $1,060, with our worst case scenario still suggesting losses to $1,026," he added.

Among other precious metals, silver was at $16.36 an ounce against $16.16. Platinum was at $1,519 an ounce versus $1,500, and palladium was at $419.50 versus $413.

Holdings of ETF Securities' U.S.-based platinum exchange-traded fund rose just over 30,000 ounces or 14 percent on Friday, the company said.

"The launch of physically backed ETFs in the U.S. saw record inflows into both platinum and palladium last month with approximately 192,000 ounces of platinum and 340,000 ounces of palladium added," said TheBullionDesk.com analyst James Moore.

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100201

[the cork]

PRECIOUS-Gold off 3-mth lows, eyes on stronger dollar
Thu Jan 28, 2010 7:13pm EST

TOKYO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Gold prices were off near
three-month lows on Friday but remained pressured, hurt by a
rising dollar and waning investors' risk appetite.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold XAU= was down 0.2 percent to $1,084.80 per
ounce, compared to New York's notional close of $1,086.75. Spot
gold hit a low of $1,073.75 on Thursday, the weakest since Nov.
3.

* U.S. gold futures for April delivery GCJ0 inched up 0.1
percent to $1,086.10 per ounce, compared to $1,084.80 an ounce
on the COMEX division of the NYMEX.

* Gold fell to a near three-month low on Thursday, hit by a
stronger dollar and uncertainty over how U.S. President Barack
Obama's proposal last week to limit risk taking by banks could
impact gold trading. Obama renewed his calls for robust Wall
Street reform in his annual State of the Union address on
Wednesday.

* The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund,
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,111.922
tonnes as of Jan. 28, unchanged from the previous business day.
[GOL/SPDR]

MARKET NEWS

* U.S. stocks dropped on Thursday as poor outlooks from
Motorola and Qualcomm dented optimism in the technology sector
while worries about Greece's fiscal health dragged on
sentiment. [.N]

* The dollar was firmer on Friday after rising to a
6-1/2-month peak against the euro the previous day when
investors remained anxious about the fiscal health of Greece
and other small euro zone countries. [USD/]

DATA EVENTS

* The following data is expected on Friday: ECON

- Nationwide January house price data. (0700 GMT)

- Euro zone M3, private loan data for December. (0900 GMT)

- Euro zone flash HICP for January. (1000 GMT)

- Euro zone unemployment data for December. (1000 GMT)

- U.S. advance Q4 GDP. (1330 GMT)

- U.S. employment cost index for Q4. (1330 GMT)

- ISM New York for January. (1330 GMT)

- ISM Chicago PMI for January. (1445 GMT)

RELATED NEWS

>Gold drops on dollar rise, liquidation worry
[GOL/]

>Stronger dollar pressures oil and metal prices
[COM/WRAP]

>US durable goods orders up, jobless claims
dip[ID:nN28241882]

>China gold output at record at 313.98T in
2009[ID:nTOE60R07R]

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 2343 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg 2 Day chg MA 30
RSI
Spot gold $1085.00 -$1.75 -0.16% -6.30% $1111.88
29
Spot silver $16.17 -$0.03 -0.19% -11.06% $17.59
19
Spot plat $1507.50 -$0.50 -0.03% +0.33% $1525.95
33
COMEX gold $1085.40 -$1.80 -0.17% +0.03% $1115.61
29
TOCOM gold 3,172 3 +0.09% +0.38% 3,283
32
TOCOM plat 4,384 13 +0.30% +1.43% 4,502
37
Currencies
Euro/dlr $1.396 $0.000 -0.01% -0.41%
Dlr/yen 89.76 -0.11 -0.12% -0.27%
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Reporting by Chikako Mogi)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE60R08Q20100129

[the cork]

PRECIOUS-Gold mostly steady under $1,090 after Obama speech

By Miho Yoshikawa

TOKYO, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Gold was mostly unchanged at under
$1,090 per ounce on Thursday as investors mulled direction after
President Barack Obama laid out plans to revive the U.S. economy
in his State of the Union speech.

Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,087.70 per ounce as
of 0329 GMT, compared to New York's notional close of $1,087.25.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery GCG0 rose 0.3
percent to $1,088.20 per ounce, compared to $1,087.90 at the
close on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Obama vowed to boost job growth and curb exploding deficits,
as he recast his agenda after suffering a political setback.
[ID:nN26136373]

The economic crisis from late 2008 boosted gold, which
investors bought as a safe-haven asset.

Some market participants also noted that there was a
dissenting voice in the Federal Reserve's decision on Wednesday
to hold rates low.

Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank president dissented because
he wanted the central bank to eliminate a phrase vowing to keep
rates exceptionally low for "an extended period". [ID:nN27180815]

Low global interest rates and concern about inflation were
both instrumental in boosting gold prices to record highs above
$1,220 last December.

Gold is also often bought as a hedge against inflation, which
erodes the value of paper assets.

Kazuhiko Saito, a chief analyst at Tokyo's Fujitomi Co Ltd,
said the investment environment for gold was beginning to look
poor, particularly as an interest rate hike appeared more likely
than it had at one point.

"I think gold might fall below $1,080 as sentiment is not
good for the precious metal," he said.

Industry officials remain bullish over bullion's prospects
for this year, however.

The chairman of Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO), the world's
largest gold producer, said on Wednesday that while gold prices
may be volatile its upward climb was not over. [ID:nLDE60Q1TS]

Peter Munk was speaking to Reuters Insider television from
the World Economic Forum in Davos.

For the long term, traders and fund managers were on the
whole positive about gold this year, with prices seen averaging
$1,150.50 an ounce in a Reuters poll of 60 analysts.
[ID:nLDE60O1WG]

Elsewhere, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded
fund, SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,111.922
tonnes as of Jan. 27, unchanged from the previous business day.
[GOL/SPDR]

In contrast, the world's largest silver-backed
exchange-traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust (SLV), said its
silver holdings stood at 9,384.98 tonnes as of Jan. 27, inching
up 0.5 percent from the previous business day. [ID:nTOE60Q0B2]
Precious metals prices at 0327 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover
Spot Gold 1088.05 0.80 +0.07 -0.70
Spot Silver 16.53 -0.01 -0.06 -1.78
Spot Platinum 1507.00 4.50 +0.30 2.73
Spot Palladium 412.50 1.00 +0.24 1.73
TOCOM Gold 3170.00 10.00 +0.32 -2.73 41278
TOCOM Platinum 4368.00 46.00 +1.06 -0.30 16571
TOCOM Silver 48.80 -0.30 -0.61 -5.61 372
TOCOM Palladium 1199.00 -13.00 -1.07 2.92 413
Euro/Dollar 1.4004
Dollar/Yen 90.30
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Editing by Michael Watson)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE60R04I20100128

[the cork]

Gold slips on firmer dollar; Fed eyed
Michael Taylor
LONDON
Wed Jan 27, 2010 6:39am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold prices eased slightly on Wednesday as the dollar firmed a touch versus the euro, as investors shied away from riskier assets on concerns about China tightening lending and ahead of a U.S. interest rate decision.

China

The Fed ends a two-day meeting on Wednesday, which is expected to yield little in terms of a policy shift, but comes as the market waits to see if Chairman Ben Bernanke will be confirmed in the post for a second term.

Gold was bid at $1,094.70 an ounce by 1038 GMT (5:38 a.m. EST), against $1,097.25 an ounce in New York late on Tuesday. Last week, the yellow metal touched a one-month low at $1,081.90.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery were at $1,094.70 per ounce, down 0.3 percent.

"The dollar is stronger today, and that is keeping precious under pressure," said David Thurtell, an analyst at Citigroup. "Also, a little bit of de-risking in there too."

A firmer U.S. currency makes metals priced in dollars more expensive for holders of other currencies.

"China monetary tightening talk is the big one but also Obama talking about budget cuts and tying down the banks on what they can do, is all pretty negative," said Thurtell.

China's credit-tightening steps and President Barack Obama's plans to limit banks' risk taking have dampened confidence about an economic recovery in the past few weeks, helping investors shift back to the dollar from riskier assets, including commodities.

Obama's State of the Union speech is also due on Wednesday.

FOMC CRUCIAL

But crucial to sentiment will be the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which ends a two-day meeting, with policymakers expected to keep interest rates near zero and indicate whether they will stick to plans to wind down an emergency asset purchase programme by March.

"The market has been building a base for the next move and we expect things to get more exciting," said Andrey Kryuchenkov, an analyst at VTB Capital. "Volatility will pick up, while later today all focus will be on the Fed statement."

Palladium prices fell more than 2 percent, sliding further from the 19-month highs of $471.75 per ounce they hit last week when investment demand fueled by the recent launch of exchange-traded funds in the United States boosted prices.

Palladium was at $415.50 an ounce, versus $425 late in New York on Tuesday. Spot platinum was bid at $1,514 per ounce, against $1,532.50.

Also weighing on sentiment was news that Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), the world's biggest automaker, is to suspend U.S. sales of eight models subject to a massive safety recall.

Platinum and palladium are highly exposed to the auto sector as they are chiefly used by carmakers as a component in catalytic converters. "If you are looking for excuses to sell short term, this is another one," said Citi's Thurtell.

The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings stood at 1,111.922 tonnes as of January 26, unchanged since January 19.

Among other precious metals, silver prices were at $16.64 an ounce versus $16.72 an ounce late on Tuesday.

(Additional reporting by Risa Maeda in Tokyo; editing by sue Thomas)

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100127

[the cork]

Gold inches above $1,100/oz amid investor caution
Mon Jan 25, 2010 9:47pm EST

By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Gold inched above $1,100 an ounce
on Tuesday as recent sharp losses offered some bargain hunting
incentives, but key events including a U.S. interest rate
decision later in the week kept investors cautious.

The gold market has stabilised from Friday's fall to a near
five-week low of $1,081.90 when news of President Barack Obama's
proposal to limit financial risk-taking hit the broader
commodities markets.

With speculative positions in futures also falling, traders
said the market could appear attractive to investors at current
levels.

But investors were cautious about actively buying as the
dollar, the main driver for the gold market, lacked clear
direction. They were also waiting for key events including the
Federal Reserve's interest rate decision and the State of the
Union address by Obama, both on Wednesday.

"The market does not have much interest (in activity) ahead
of the Fed rate decision," said Louis Lok, a senior dealer at
Bank of China in Hong Kong, adding that gold prices were likely
to stay in ranges between $1,085 and $1,110 until the rate
outcome.

After wide-ranging trade last week and a correction from
gold's high prices, some physical buying has been cited this
week, he said.

"Especially with the market stabilising, some people may now
have confidence to collect some gold at lower price levels. This
may be a good opportunity over the medium term," Lok said.

Spot gold XAU= inched up 0.3 percent to $1,101.75 per ounce
as of 0225 GMT, compared to New York's notional close of
$1,097.95.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery GCG0 rose 0.6
percent to $1,101.70 per ounce, compared to $1,095.70 an ounce on
the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Spot platinum XPT= was at $1,556.50 per ounce while spot
palladium XPD= was at $440.00.

Platinum and palladium, valued for their use in automobile
catalytic converters, have been rising and hit multi-month highs
last week on strong demand for U.S.-based exchange-traded funds
backed by the metals launched earlier this month.

Holdings of ETF Securities' U.S.-based platinum
exchange-traded fund (PPLTiv.P) rose 10 percent on Friday, while
those of its U.S. palladium product (PALLiv.P) climbed by a
third, the company said on Monday. [ID:nLDE60O0QC]

In contrast, the gold market's sluggishness was reflected in
holdings at the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund,
SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), which stayed unchanged from the previous
business day at 1,111.922 tonnes as of Jan. 25. [GOL/SPDR]

The dollar was steady on Tuesday, holding on to gains made
against the yen the previous day when news that Bernanke had
edged closer to winning support for a second term helped ease
anxiety among investors.

Strong demand in Greece's five-year debt sale eased concerns
about fiscal problems in the euro zone, lending the euro some
modest support against the dollar. [USD/]

Currency market reaction was muted when administration
officials said on Monday that Obama will seek a three-year freeze
on domestic spending in his 2011 budget that would save $250
billion by 2020.

He will outline the spending hold-down in his State of the
Union address on Wednesday. [ID:nN25219341]

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 0225 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover
Spot Gold 1101.30 3.35 +0.31 0.51
Spot Silver 17.18 0.06 +0.35 2.08
Spot Platinum 1555.50 9.00 +0.58 6.03
Spot Palladium 440.00 -1.00 -0.23 8.51
TOCOM Gold 3211.00 4.00 +0.12 -1.47 34597
TOCOM Platinum 4524.00 21.00 +0.47 3.26 11760
TOCOM Silver 50.60 0.30 +0.60 -2.13 455
TOCOM Palladium 1280.00 14.00 +1.11 9.87 216
Euro/Dollar 1.4164
Dollar/Yen 90.40
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Editing by Michael Watson)

http://www.reuters.com/article/goldMktRpt/idUSTOE60P02R20100126

[the cork]

Nice catch Gold, pretty respectable assay I'd say!

GLTA !!

[Gold3000]

More Great Drilling Results

Coronado Resources Ltd
Symbol CRD
Shares Issued 23,069,048
Close 2010-01-22 C$ 0.235
Recent Sedar Documents

Coronado completes initial phase of drilling at Madison

2010-01-25 11:00 ET - News Release

Mr. Eugene Larabie reports

CORONADO RESOURCES LTD.: INITIAL PHASE OF UNDERGROUND DIAMOND DRILLING AT MASDISON GOLD\COPPER PROJECT IN MONTANA USA PROVES SUCCESSFUL!

Coronado Resources Ltd. has completed its initial phase of the underground diamond drill program at the Madison gold/copper project located near Butte, Mont.

GOLD HIGHLIGHTS FROM MADISON PROJECT

Au Au
Hole Intercept Feet oz/t gm/mt

09-U1 12.5-42.5 30 .313 10.74
Including 12.5-27.5 15 .528 18.11
09-U2 22-58 36 .468 16.05
Including 26.5-44 17.5 .607 20.82
09-U3 25-70 45 .741 25.44
Including 25-47 22 1.274 43.68
09-U4 48-73 25 .588 20.95
09-U5 0-21 21 .191 6.55
09-U6 0-18.5 18.5 .153 5.25
09-U7 158-163 5 .308 10.56
10-U1 29-94 65' .560 19.20
Including 36-64.5 30.5' .881 30.21


The main purpose of the underground drill program was to confirm the downward extension of the mineralized gold zone at the bottom of the decline. The program established that without a doubt the zone does extend below the current level with excellent gold grades. The most significant results were from hole 09-U3 of a 22-foot intercept running 1.274 ounces per ton gold and from hole 10-U1 a 30.5-foot intercept that ran 0.881 ounce per ton gold. Holes 09-U1 through U4 and 10-U1 were concentrated below the current gold zone.

An internal resource calculation is being prepared. The company will commence the next phase of the underground drilling once all the data are obtained and assessed. Drill holes 09-U5 through U7 were drilled to test different zones indentified on the property.

Assay work was completed by Norris Labs, a local Montana lab using the dry assay method. Norris Labs is not registered by the international standards organization and are used due to proximity and quick turnaround results. Eugene Larabie, PEng, is the "qualified person" overseeing the project.

We seek Safe Harbor.

[the cork]

PRECIOUS-Gold comes off one-month low as dollar dips
Sun Jan 24, 2010 7:38pm EST

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 0017 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg 2 day chg MA 30 RSI
Spot gold $1095.15 $3.50 +0.32% -5.42% $1115.75 30
Spot silver $17.05 $0.09 +0.53% -6.22% $17.69 28
Spot plat $1537.50 -$9.00 -0.58% -0.58% $1516.22 50
COMEX gold $1095.50 $5.80 +0.53% -0.70% $1118.88 30
TOCOM gold 3,177 11 +0.35% -0.09% 3,291 27
TOCOM plat 4,448 -51 -1.13% -6.83% 4,463 36
Currencies
Euro/dlr $1.415 -$0.001 -0.10% +0.09%
Dlr/yen 89.93 -0.37 -0.41% +0.13%
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Reporting by Miho Yoshikawa; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

http://www.reuters.com/article/goldMktRpt/idUSTOE60O00I20100125

[the cork]

Gold Falls to 1097.80
Three-Week Low on Bets Dollar to Extend Rally

By Pham-Duy Nguyen

Jan. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Gold futures fell to a three-week low on speculation that the dollar will extend a rally, curbing demand for the precious metal as an alternative investment. Silver and platinum also slumped.

The euro dropped to a five-month low against the dollar. The greenback has rallied partly on demand for a haven amid a slump in equities.

“The dollar is just incredibly strong, and that’s forcing gold lower,” said Leonard Kaplan, the president of Prospector Asset Management in Evanston, Illinois.

Gold futures for February delivery dropped $9.40, or 0.8 percent, to $1,103.20 an ounce on the Comex unit of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the price touched $1,088, the lowest level for a most-active contract since Dec. 30.

China is taking steps to tighten credit and limit growth after its economy surged in the fourth quarter and inflation accelerated.

“The dollar continued receiving a boost from safe-haven seekers spooked by the prospect of easy money drying up all over the place,” Jon Nadler, a senior analyst at Kitco Inc. in Montreal, said in a report.

The Reuters/Jefferies CRB Index of 19 raw materials fell as much as 1 percent after declining 1.3 percent yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell as much as 2.2 percent today, erasing this month’s gain.

“China was the driving engine behind commodities,” said Frank McGhee, the head dealer at Integrated Brokerage Services LLC in Chicago. “You have a wave of asset liquidation coming through” that triggered more sales, he said.

Gold may extend its decline after breaching the 50-day moving average yesterday, said Matt Zeman, a metals trader at LaSalle Futures Group in Chicago.

‘Snap Back’

“The next session or two will be very important,” Zeman said. “We need to see gold snap back fairly quickly. If gold can’t recapture the 50-day, you’ve got to get bearish very quickly.”

In 2009, gold climbed for a ninth straight year as governments cut interest rates and spent trillions of dollars to prop up economies. Central banks in nations including India and China boosted bullion reserves. Russia’s central bank said on its Web site that it added 800,000 ounces to gold reserves last month, increasing holdings to 20.5 million ounces.

Silver futures for March delivery tumbled 37 cents, or 2.1 percent, to $17.51 an ounce in New York.

Platinum futures for April delivery fell $25.50, or 1.6 percent, to $1,592.10 an ounce.

Palladium futures for March delivery slid $8.10, or 1.8 percent, to $453.95 an ounce.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a1A5xuxx1EaM

[the cork]

US copper ends down 2.7 pct on strong dollar, China
Wed Jan 20, 2010 1:34pm EST


NEW YORK, Jan 20 (Reuters) - U.S. copper futures ended down 2.7 percent
on Wednesday after China's tightening monetary policy ignited demand
worries and a stronger dollar dampened sentiment in the metals complex.

For detailed report on global copper markets, click on [MET/L]

* Benchmark copper for March delivery HGH0 lost 9.20 cents, or 2.67
percent, to end at $3.3550 per lb on the New York Mercantile Exchange's
COMEX division.

* Range from $3.47 to $3.3385.

* COMEX estimated futures volume at 27,609 lots by 1:00 p.m. EST (1800
GMT). Final volume on Tuesday at 30,945.

* Open interest grew by 839 lots to 143,012 contracts as of Jan. 19.

* Copper knocked down by China's latest move to tighten monetary policy
by curbing banks lending. [ID:nSGE60J0A8]

* The move may slow economic recovery in the world biggest copper
consumer and cut its demand for commodities - analysts.

* Euro fell to five-month lows against the dollar as Greek bonds
tumbled over worries about the Greek government's finances.
[ID:nN20235725]

* A stronger U.S. currency makes dollar-denominated metals less
attractive for non-U.S. investors.

* Market expects strong Chinese data due on Thursday, which could help
fade worries about demand.

* China's industrial output probably jumped 20 percent, it's fastest
pace since February 2006, in the year to December, a Reuters survey showed.
[ID:nSGE60E01B]

* The biggest threat to industrial metals' prices this year will be
rising inflation and interest rate hikes - analysts. [ID:nLDE60J1AE]

* LME copper for three-month delivery MCU3 ended at $7,375 a tonne,
down $170 from Tuesday's close.

(Reporting by Patricia Velez; Editing by John Picinich)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN2015520100120

[the cork]

Gold hits two-week low on dollar rally, China
Frank Tang and Veronica Brown
Wed Jan 20, 2010 3:55pm EST
Related News


NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Gold hit a two-week low on Wednesday, losing over 2 percent as a resurgent dollar and China's tightening bank lending decreased bullion's appeal as a hedge against both inflation and currency depreciation.

China

Analysts said the fact that gold did not fall further showed strong underlying investor interest, and fresh buying could reemerge after a healthy price pullback.

News that China's raising bank reserve ratio has triggered flight-to-quality buying into the dollar, prompting commodities investors to sell after prices had overshot due to economic optimism, said Adam Klopfenstein, senior market strategist at Lind-Waldock in Chicago.

"Even if gold goes to a one- or two-day market correction, there is still a lot of pent-up demand in gold. People are going to look at these dips as buying opportunities," he said.

Spot gold hit a low of $1,107.80 an ounce, the weakest since January 4. It was last at $1,113 an ounce at 2:21 p.m. EST, down from $1,137.95 quoted late in New York on Tuesday.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery settled down $27.40, or 2.4 percent, at $1,122.60 on the COMEX division of the NYMEX.

External headwinds were gathering for world markets, with Chinese banking authorities instructing some major banks to stop new lending for the rest of January after loan growth surged in the first few weeks of the year.

Even after gold futures broke below key support under its 14- and 50-day moving averages, they ended off session lows, which is a positive technical indicator, Klopfenstein said.

Gold prices were also pummeled as the U.S. currency hit five-month highs against the euro on heightened concerns about Greece's ability to finance its budget deficit.

The dollar, which usually moves in opposition direction to bullion, also rallied on expectations that the election of a Republican to a U.S. Senate seat might see the government rein in spending and cut the fiscal deficit.

Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg said that gold is expected to test a low of $1,000 an ounce by the second quarter due to weak jewelry demand, but could rise toward $1,200 in the second half of this year because of its role as a hedge against market risk.

PLATINUM TAKES GOLD'S LEAD

Platinum prices also retreated, falling from a 17-month peak earlier in the session, with positive sentiment from the recent launch of new exchange-traded funds overrun by a resurgent dollar.

Spot platinum rose as high as $1,654, a level last seen in August 2008, but the dollar's strength pulled prices back to a last quote of $1,627.50, down from $1,643 late in New York on Tuesday. It traded as low as $1,592.50 earlier in the session.

A U.S. subsidiary of London's ETF Securities launched platinum and palladium exchange-traded funds earlier this month, and metals uptake by both funds has been healthy.

Holdings of ETFS Physical Platinum Trust rose to 144,924 ounces on Tuesday from 119,941 ounces on Monday, while ETFS Physical Palladium Trust also climbed to 194,977 ounce from 124,897 ounces during the same period.

"We still see decent support for platinum and we can't see anything that should see massive selling. Mainly it's the ETFs but also from possible supply problems in South Africa," said Walter de Wet, an analyst at Standard Bank in London.

Platinum's sister metal palladium rebounded on bargain hunting, and was last at $465.50, up from $464.50 late in New York on Tuesday.

Spot silver followed gold's lead, falling to $17.90 per ounce, down from $18.73 an ounce late in New York on Tuesday.

(Additional reporting by Miho Yoshikawa in Tokyo and Michael Taylor in London; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B10OV20100120

[the cork]

Gold 1138.30 - Could Drop
as Dollar’s Advance Erodes Demand; Platinum Rises

By Nicholas Larkin and Pham-Duy Nguyen

Jan. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Gold prices may fall as a rally by the dollar curbs demand for the metal as an alternative investment. Platinum futures rose a 17-month high.

The dollar gained as much as 0.8 percent against the euro after a report showed German investor confidence this month declined more than economists forecast. Before today, spot gold rallied 34 percent in the past year as the dollar lost 7.7 percent.

“The dollar has a bid to it, and that’s generally not supportive for gold prices,” said Frank Lesh, a trader at FuturePath Trading LLC in Chicago. “If the dollar strength continues, gold is going to work lower.”

Gold for immediate delivery was little changed at $1,133.50 an ounce at 11:12 a.m. New York time. The price climbed 0.2 percent yesterday after falling 0.6 percent last week.

Platinum and palladium futures rose after Bank of America Merrill Lynch raised its price forecasts. Holdings in exchange- traded products have climbed, partly on speculation that industrial demand will increase. The metals are used in pollution-control devices in cars and jewelry.

ETF Securities Ltd.’s ETFS Platinum Trust and ETFS Palladium Trust started trading on NYSE Arca on Jan. 8.

ETF Demand

“Assets are being re-allocated in favor of the newly issued platinum and palladium ETFs,” Commerzbank AG said in a note. “They seem to establish themselves as a large demand component.”

The platinum ETF has bought 195,000 ounces in the past 10 days, more than 10 times daily global production, Commerzbank said.

Platinum futures for April delivery rose $29.90, or 1.9 percent, to $1,626 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, the price reached $1,647.70, the highest level for a most-active contract since Aug. 4, 2008. The market was closed yesterday for a U.S. holiday.

Palladium futures for March delivery climbed $11.30, or 2.5 percent, to $459.05. Earlier, the price reached $462.25, the highest level since July 7, 2008.

In a report dated yesterday, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch raised its 2010 forecast for platinum by 35 percent to $1,750 and increased its palladium estimate by 30 percent to $500.

“If the ETF has any kind of moderate success, it will propel these markets massively higher,” said Frank McGhee, the head dealer at Integrated Brokerage Services LLC in Chicago.

Silver futures for March delivery rose 20.3 cents, or 1.1 percent, to $18.63 an ounce on the Comex division of the Nymex.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aGSLIHD031YQ

[the cork]

Gold hit by dollar gains, ETF boosts palladium
Rebekah Curtis
LONDON
Fri Jan 15, 2010 9:10am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold fell toward $1,130 per ounce on Friday as a rising dollar made the metal costlier for non-U.S. investors, but palladium hit an 18-month high as traders continued to see strong investment demand.

Currency markets were not moving in gold's favor as the euro fell versus the dollar, with struggles in the Greek economy fuelling concerns about weakness in the euro zone. <FRX/>

"We really need some dollar weakness to push gold higher," said Walter de Wet, an analyst at Standard Bank. "As long as the Greece problems remain headline news we're not going to see that weakness just yet."

Spot gold stood at $1,133.70 per ounce at 1338 GMT, compared with $1,142.15 quoted late in New York on Thursday.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery were at $1,132.60 an ounce, versus Thursday's close of $1,143.00 on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

On the regulation front, gold market participants were fairly sanguine about the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposal of new measures to rein in speculation in energy and commodity trading, especially oil.

Some analysts see gold and silver as harder targets for the commission.

Excessive speculation has been blamed for sending food and oil prices to record highs in 2008.

Separately, the London Metal Exchange said it will offer clearing for gold over-the-counter (OTC) contracts in London by the second half of 2010.

Gold, seen as a hedge against inflation, was little affected by data showing U.S. consumer prices rose more slowly than expected in December from November. The data pointed to subdued inflation pressures.

PALLADIUM BUCKS TREND

Palladium and platinum were supported by strong investment demand from the launch of a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) backed by the metals in New York. A U.S. subsidiary of London's ETF Securities launched the products last Friday.

By contrast, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings stood at 1,113.750 tons as of January 14, down 0.2 percent from the session before. <GOL/SPDR>

"Palladium's on fire mainly because of this U.S. ETF," Citi's Thurtell said. "It's raised fears there'll be a bit of a shortage of metal this year, if investors are absorbing a lot of supply."

Palladium traded at $446.00 versus $441.50. The metal earlier hit $451 per ounce, its highest since mid-July 2008.

Spot platinum stood at $1,598.00 after rising as high as $1,618.50, and compared with $1,607.00 in New York.

"Apparently, a re-allocation in favor of the newly issued palladium and platinum ETFs is taking place at present. In contrast to gold, demand for these two ETFs remains sustainably high and supports prices," Commerzbank said in a note to clients.

Silver traded at $18.49 from $18.64.

The world's largest silver-backed exchange-traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust, said its silver holdings stood at 9,339.19 tons as of January 14, down 1.6 percent from the previous business day.

(Reporting by Rebekah Curtis; Editing by Veronica Brown and Sue Thomas)

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE5B10OV20100115

[the cork]

Gold inches up, caution before ECB, US data
Wed Jan 13, 2010 10:11pm EST


By Chikako Mogi

TOKYO, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Gold inched up on Thursday, keeping
a bullish tone from the day before when a weaker dollar spurred
short-covering and physical buying, but investors were trading
cautiously before the European Central Bank's policy decision and
U.S. data.

Gold prices fell sharply on Tuesday when China's decision to
raise bank reserve requirements sparked fears that spending would
be curtailed and decrease bullion's appeal as a hedge against
inflation.

As the dollar remained under pressure, players shifted their
immediate focus to the ECB's policy decision and remarks by ECB
President Jean-Claude Trichet, as well as U.S. retail sales and
weekly jobless claims due later in the day.

"People are cautiously bullish, but liquidity is not enough"
as they await the key events and see how the dollar moves, said
Ronald Leung, director of Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong.

The news from China provided an excuse to take profits
following the market's rally since the start of the year, he
said, adding that he expected prices to stay between $1,120 and
$1,150 for now.

Spot gold XAU= edged up 0.5 percent to $1,143.40 per ounce
as of 0248 GMT, compared to New York's notional close of
$1,137.60.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery GCG0 were up 0.6
percent at $1,143.30 per ounce, compared to $1,136.80 an ounce on
the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

As the market steadied, investment outflows also halted.

The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,115.884 tonnes as
of Jan. 13, unchanged from the previous business day. The
holdings hit a record high of 1,134.03 tonnes on June 1.
[GOL/SPDR]

Traders said if the dollar remained on a weak trend, gold
could test new highs in the coming months.

Gold prices will likely eclipse last year's record levels in
the first half of the year, as stronger investment demand offsets
the impact of relatively weak jewellery fabrication and lower
de-hedging activity, a closely watched report said on Wednesday.

Gold could average $1,175 an ounce in the first half of 2010,
up from last year's average of $972, GFMS, a London-based
consultancy said in an update of its Gold Survey 2009 report.
[ID:nN12203712]

Precious metals prices at 0250 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover
Spot Gold 1142.80 5.20 +0.46 4.30
Spot Silver 18.65 0.06 +0.32 10.81
Spot Platinum 1586.00 12.00 +0.76 8.11
Spot Palladium 424.00 2.50 +0.59 4.56
TOCOM Gold 3378.00 56.00 +1.69 3.65 45808
TOCOM Platinum 4654.00 55.00 +1.20 6.23 14214
TOCOM Silver 55.40 1.50 +2.78 7.16 377
TOCOM Palladium 1245.00 9.00 +0.73 6.87 303
Euro/Dollar 1.4542
Dollar/Yen 91.57
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Editing by David Dolan)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE60D01H20100114

[the cork]

Gold 1130.50 - Recovering lost
ground as dollar wilts
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Wed Jan 13, 2010 9:34am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold rose in Europe on Wednesday as the dollar weakened versus the euro, helping the precious metal recover some of the previous day's 2 percent loss, with physical demand emerging to support prices at the lows.

Gold dropped along with most commodities on Tuesday after China's decision to raise its banks' reserve requirements sparked fears spending will be curtailed. The dollar initially rose on the move, though it has since retreated versus the euro.

Spot gold was bid at $1,132.25 an ounce at 1412 GMT (9:12 a.m. EST), against $1,127.95 late in New York on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures for February delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange firmed $3.20 to $1,132.60 an ounce.

"This morning and last night, there were quite a few physical buyers bargain hunting around in the marketplace, and we saw some good demand out of India and elsewhere," said Afshin Nabavi, head of trading at MKS Finance.

"With the dollar back on the slide, there is more interest," he added. "I wouldn't be surprised if we pushed near to the high end of the range again, which is around $1,145-50."

The euro hit a one-month high against the dollar on Wednesday while higher-yielding currencies trimmed the previous day's losses as investors concluded China's surprise monetary tightening would not derail growth.

Strength in the U.S. unit curbs gold's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities more expensive for holders of other currencies.

China's move may be a precursor to an interest rate rise, analysts said, which would hurt gold as a non-interest bearing asset.

"Bullion never behaves well in a rising interest rate environment across the globe," VTB Capital said in a note.

COMMODITIES PRESSURED

Among other commodities, oil prices fell to their lowest this year after an industry report showed rising U.S. distillate stocks, despite the cold snap that has brought snow and ice to the northern hemisphere.

Gold tends to track crude prices, as the metal can be bought as a hedge against oil-led inflation.

Equities recovered after early losses on the China news, with European shares edging higher. U.S. stock futures rose on Wednesday.

Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust, dipped another 3.7 tonnes on Tuesday, bringing their decline so far this year to nearly 18 tonnes, or 1.6 percent.

Silver tracked gold higher to $18.39 an ounce from $18.24. Platinum was at $1,570.50 an ounce against $1,568.50, and palladium was at $420 against $421.50.

U.S. platinum and palladium exchange-traded funds launched last Friday were met with buying interest, with about 170,000 ounces of metals added in the first two trading sessions, a spokesman for ETF Securities, which operates the funds, said.

"Continued strong ETF investment in 2010 (potentially amplified by the U.S. ETFs) would push the platinum and palladium markets into deficit," RBS Global Banking & Markets said in a note.

"This underpins our longer-term bullish outlook on the PGMs, our top pick being palladium."

(Editing by Sue Thomas)

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B10OV20100113

[the cork]

Copper 3.37 up .02 so far today.

[the cork]

1151.60 Gold remains mostly unchanged,
currency moves eyed
Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:01pm EST

6:50am PST

* Platinum rises to highest since August 2008

* SPDR Gold holdings steady at 1,119.541 tonnes

By Miho Yoshikawa

TOKYO, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Gold prices were mostly flat around
$1,150 per ounce on Tuesday after touching a five-week high in
the previous session, as traders continued to watch the currency
market for direction.

The price of the precious metal touched a five-week high of
$1.161.50 on Monday, after worse-than-expected U.S. jobs data
sent the dollar lower.

Data on Friday showed U.S. employers cut 85,000 jobs in
December, disappointing investors who were expecting a quicker
turnaround for the world's largest economy.

Spot gold XAU= was at $1,150.85 per ounce at 0324 GMT,
compared to New York's notional close of $1,151.10.

U.S. gold futures for February delivery GCG0 were at
$1,151.70, up 0.03 percent from $1,151.40 on the COMEX division
of the NYMEX.

"The market's focus was on a U.S. rate hike taking place
sooner rather than later but that view receded, causing the
dollar to fall, which was positive for gold," said Shuji Sugata,
a manager at Mitsubishi Corp Futures Ltd.

He said gold prices would likely continue to take their cues
from the currency market.

"I think the view of an imminent rate hike has receded, and
this suggests that gold's bottom price may be quite solid,"
Sugata added.

Higher U.S. interest rates boost the dollar and put pressure
on gold, which is often used as a dollar alternative.

The dollar initially rose against the yen and the euro on
Tuesday, after an official at China's sovereign wealth fund said
the U.S. currency had little room to fall further. However, it
later reversed those gains after the official said his comments
reflected only his personal view. [ID:nBJB003635]

The official, Peng Junming, also said the fund must not rush
to buy gold because prices are high now.

The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,119.541 tonnes as
of Jan. 11, unchanged from the previous business day. [GOL/SPDR]

Platinum, which has important industrial applications in auto
catalysts to clear car exhaust fumes, had benefited from views
that the economy was on a solid recovery path.

It has also benefited from Friday's launch of the first
U.S.-based exchange-traded funds backed by metals, which provides
a new investment vehicle. [ID:nLDE6061O5]

On Tuesday it rose as high as $1,598.0 per ounce, the highest
since August 2006.

PRICES

Precious metals prices at 0322 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover
Spot Gold 1151.00 -0.10 -0.01 5.05
Spot Silver 18.54 -0.01 -0.05 10.16
Spot Platinum 1597.00 5.50 +0.35 8.86
Spot Palladium 430.25 -0.75 -0.17 6.10
TOCOM Gold 3424.00 41.00 +1.21 5.06 60391
TOCOM Platinum 4707.00 82.00 +1.77 7.44 23064
TOCOM Silver 55.80 1.00 +1.82 7.93 695
TOCOM Palladium 1282.00 7.00 +0.55 10.04 380
Euro/Dollar 1.4487
Dollar/Yen 92.14
TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Editing by David Dolan and )

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE60B03K20100112

[the cork]

Silver up, 18.695, Gold 1149.20 Advances to One-Month High as Dollar’s Drop Spurs Demand

By Nicholas Larkin

Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) -- Gold rose to a one-month high in New York and London as a weaker dollar increased demand for the precious metal as an alternative investment. Platinum climbed to the highest price in 17 months.

The dollar fell the most against the euro since November, on speculation that the Federal Reserve will keep borrowing costs low for an extended period to revive growth. Gold rose 24 percent last year as the Fed kept interest rates near zero percent, sending the dollar down 4.2 percent against a basket of six major currencies.

“In an environment of low interest rates and recovering global growth, we expect precious metals to continue their upward trend this year,” Walter de Wet, a Standard Bank Ltd. analyst in London, said today in a report.

Gold futures for February delivery rose $12.50, or 1.1 percent, to $1,151.40 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex unit, the highest settlement price since Dec. 7. In London, gold for immediate delivery advanced $13.45, or 1.2 percent, to $1,151.70 an ounce at 8:24 p.m. local time.

Odds that the Fed will boost its target rate for overnight loans between banks in June or August decreased over the past month after employers unexpectedly eliminated jobs in December, according to futures data compiled by Bloomberg. The dollar fell as much as 1 percent against the euro.

Euro ‘Breakout’

“The technical breakout in the euro brought more buying into gold,” said Frank McGhee, the head dealer at Integrated Brokerage Services LLC in Chicago.

The benchmark U.S. interest rate was cut to between zero percent and 0.25 percent in December 2008. Central banks in Australia, Norway and Israel increased borrowing costs in recent weeks.

“Interest from investors has certainly been coming as a result of a declining dollar,” said Toby Hassall, a CWA Global Markets Pty commodity analyst in Sydney.

Among other precious metals, silver futures for March delivery rose 22.5 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $18.695 an ounce in New York. Platinum for April delivery gained $21.90, or 1.4 percent, to $1,592.50 an ounce, the highest closing price since Aug. 6, 2008. Palladium for March delivery increased $6.80, or 1.6 percent, to $431.95 an ounce.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a3hOYLGyMNZI

[the cork]

Gold hits five-week high as dollar slips, commods rise
Jan Harvey
LONDON
Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:57am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - Gold prices rose 2 percent in Europe on Monday to a five-week high of $1,161.50, benefiting from weakness in the dollar as traders bet on U.S. interest rates staying low in the immediate future.

Spot gold was bid at $1,154.35 an ounce at 1425 GMT (9:25 a.m. EST), against $1,137.90 late in New York on Friday. U.S. gold futures for February delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $16.50 to $1,155.40 an ounce.

The metal is building on gains made in the first trading week of the new year, when prices climbed nearly 4 percent.

"The technical situation for gold improved last week," Peter Fertig, a consultant at Quantitative Commodity Research, said. "In addition of course, the U.S. dollar has given back some of the gains it made at the end of last year."

"All in all I see further upside potential for gold. I still expect during the first few months of the year we will hit new record highs."

Gold hit a record high $1,226.10 an ounce in December.

The U.S. dollar fell on Monday after disappointing U.S. jobs data on Friday and comments from a Federal Reserve official that U.S. interest rates are likely to stay low for some time.

Weakness in the U.S. unit boosts gold's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies.

Other commodities rose on the back of the dollar's decline, with oil jumping more than 1 percent and base metals also climbing. Industrial commodities are benefiting from stronger-than-expected Chinese import data.

Growth in China's imports and exports last month beat expectations, providing fresh evidence of economic recovery. One analyst said the trade data suggested December industrial output grew by more than 25 percent year-on-year.

"With the Chinese data out, people are expecting a faster recovery in global growth, which could see some gold buying for those who believe it is an inflation hedge," said Walter de Wet, an analyst at Standard Bank.

OUTFLOW

In New York, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund reported a near four-tonne outflow on Friday.

Its holdings slipped just over 14 tonnes or 1 percent in the first trading week of the new year, compared with a rise of more than 7 tonnes in the same period of 2009.

Deutsche Bank said in a research note it expects inflows into precious metals exchange-traded products (ETP) to slacken this year as investors divert attention to more volatile commodities.

"We don't expect extreme outflows from precious metals ETPs," it said. "However, growth rates are likely to be slower than 2009."

Among other precious metals, silver tracked gold higher to $18.73 an ounce against $18.44. Platinum hit a 16-month high of $1,590.50 and was later at $1,586.50 against $1,574.50, while palladium was at $425 against $425.50.

Both platinum and palladium have benefited from the launch of the first U.S.-based ETPs backed by the metals on Friday.

"We think platinum is poised to substantially benefit from increased investment demand given its already favorable fundamental outlook," Morgan Stanley said in a note.

Platinum group metals traders will be closely eyeing news on global car sales for clues on future demand for the autocatalyst materials.

Industry figures released on Monday showed China's auto sales surged past the United States to reach record levels in 2009, underscoring China's importance to the global auto industry as the world's biggest market.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE5B10OV20100111

[the cork]

Gold 1137.70 Declines for Second Day as Dollar’s Advance Curbs Demand

By Kim Kyoungwha

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Gold fell for a second day as the dollar’s strength sapped demand for the precious metal as an alternative asset.

The greenback rose against a six-currency basket before an employment report today that economists said will show two years of job losses halted, a signal that the world’s largest economy is recovering from recession. Gold rose 24 percent in 2009 as the Federal Reserve kept interest rates near zero percent to spur growth. The dollar gained as much as 0.8 percent against a six-currency basket yesterday.

“People are a bit disappointed that gold couldn’t hold on to gains and some of them are willing to sell,” said K.C. Wong, a trader with Standard Merchant Bank Ltd. in Singapore. The market is on watch for “a further clue” on the course of the dollar as it awaits the release of U.S. employment data today, he said.

Gold for immediate delivery weakened 0.7 percent to $1,123.47 an ounce at 2:48 p.m. in Singapore. February-delivery futures fell 0.9 percent to $1,123.80 an ounce.

Bullion holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust, the biggest exchange-traded fund backed by the metal, dropped 0.4 percent to 1,123.50 metric tons yesterday. The Dollar Index rose as much as 0.2 percent to 78.091 today.

Still, gold is up 2.1 percent this week after five weeks of declines, the longest losing streak since August 2008, amid speculation that large investors will resume adding gold to their investment as an asset class as the new year began.

Inflation Hedge

“We believe gold and other precious metals will remain a substantial allocation for hedge funds as a hedge against longer-term inflation,” Hennessee Group LLC, a consultant and adviser to direct investors in hedge funds, wrote in a report yesterday.

Gold will average $1,290 an ounce this year as spending by governments spurs inflation, stoking demand for the metal as a hedge against eroding values of other assets, according to broker GoldCore Ltd.

Prices will climb from an average $1,290 an ounce in the current quarter to $1,390 in the year’s final three months, Executive Director Mark O’Byrne said in an e-mail yesterday. The metal for immediate delivery climbed to a record $1,226.56 in December as a drop in the dollar spurred demand for the metal.

Fourteen of 20 traders, investors and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News, or 70 percent, said bullion would gain next week. Six forecast lower prices.

Among other precious metals, silver decreased 0.9 percent to $18.075 an ounce, platinum fell 0.8 percent to $1,543 an ounce and palladium was down 0.2 percent to $425.50 an ounce.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=a42YuDPpaicQ

[the cork]

Gold rises towards $1140 an ounce after US jobs data

Non-farm payrolls numbers come in weaker than expected
January 8, 2010

Gold prices rose towards $1 140 (R8 345) an ounce on Friday after December's US non-farm payrolls data missed expectations, dampening expectations a US interest hike may be imminent and pressuring the dollar versus the euro.

Spot gold hit a high of $1 139.40 an ounce in the wake of the data and was bid at $1 135.60 an ounce at 16:13 SA time, against $1 131.40 late in New York on Thursday. Earlier it slipped as low as $1 119.45.

"People were largely going short into the market, and as the non-farm payrolls for December were slightly worse than expected, those shorts were covered," said Michael Widmer, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"The dollar came off quite a lot on the back of it, and that contributed to pushing gold higher," he added.

US gold futures for February delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $3.30 to $1 373.00 an ounce.

The dollar plunged against the euro after data showed US job losses were 85 000 last month, while markets were expecting no cuts.

The numbers dampened burgeoning hopes an economic recovery may be on the way, which might have led to a hike in US interest rates sooner rather than later.

Gold prices have benefited from low interest rates in the last year, which contributed to dollar weakness and cut the opportunity cost of holding non-interest bearing assets.

"The play for gold (this year) is speculating on the move in US interest rates," said Jeremy East, Standard Chartered's global head of commodity derivatives trading. "(The payrolls data) will obviously have an impact on expectations for that."


On the wider markets, oil prices eased after the data, while US stock futures pointed to a lower opening on Wall Street after the report. European shares briefly turned negative after the numbers.

INVESTMENT SOFT

Investment demand for gold-backed exchange-traded funds remained soft after a lacklustre start to the new year. The largest gold ETF, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reported a further 0.4 tonne dip in its holdings on Thursday.

Its holdings have fallen 10 tonnes in 2010 so far, while those of London-based ETF Securities' gold-backed exchange traded products are down 19 000 ounces in the same period.

Spot silver tracked gold lower to $18.38 an ounce against $18.22. Platinum was at $1 563 an ounce versus $1 554.50, while palladium was at $428 an ounce against $424.

The United States' first platinum and palladium-backed ETPs are due to start trading in New York later on Friday, which will allow US investors to invest in the metals used in autocatalysts via an ETP.

"Both (platinum and palladium) could gain serious traction should ETF investment demand prove strong," James Moore, an analyst at TheBullionDesk.com, said in a note.

Investment appetite for the metals is expected to be firm this year as a turnaround in the global economy lifts car demand. Over half the world's platinum and palladium is consumed by carmakers.

China sold more than 13.5 million vehicles in 2009, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday, overtaking the United States to become the world's largest auto market as government policy initiatives spurred demand. - Reuters
BOOKMARK THI

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5306191&fSectionId=615&fSetId=662

[the cork]

U.S. gold drops but PGMs rise ahead of ETFs launch
Thu Jan 7, 2010 11:20am EST

NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures dropped on
Thursday, as a sharp bounce in the dollar prompted profit
taking, while platinum group metals rose ahead of the launch of
the first U.S. exchange-traded funds.

For the latest detailed report, click on [GOL/].

GOLD

* Gold for February delivery GCG0 down $3.90 at $1,132.60
an ounce at 11:02 a.m. EST (1602 GMT) on the COMEX division of
the New York Mercantile Exchange.

* Range from $1,128.70 to $1,139.50.

* Gold retreated from a three-week high in the previous
session as the dollar strengthened against the euro. [USD/]

* Pressure seen after gold failed to breach key overhead
resistance near $1,143, near-term support at the $1,130 area -
Jon Nadler, senior analyst at Kitco Metals.

* Gold/oil ratio at 13.63, against previous session's
13.68.

* COMEX estimated 10 a.m. volume at 77,900 lots.

* Spot gold XAU= at $1,131.95, against the previous
session's late quote of $1,137.90.

* London afternoon gold fix XAUFIX= at $1,130.25.

SILVER

* March silver SIH0 up 17 cents at $18.345 an ounce on
strong investment demand.

* Range from $18.055 to $18.420 -- a four-week high.

* COMEX estimated 10 a.m. volume at 15,128 lots.

* Spot silver XAG= at $18.30 an ounce, versus the
previous session's late quote at $18.18 an ounce.

* London silver fix XAGFIX= at $18.09.

PLATINUM

* NYMEX April platinum PLJ0 up $2.30 at $1,560.70 an
ounce, driven by optimism ahead of the launch of the first U.S.
platinum and palladium exchange-traded funds.

* ETF Securities Ltd's first U.S. platinum and palladium
ETFs will start trading on Friday, which is expected to attract
a rush of investment dollars into a highly liquid U.S. precious
metals market. [ID:nN07368852]

* Spot platinum XPT= was at $1,550 an ounce.

PALLADIUM

* March palladium PAH0 up 60 cents at $427.80 an ounce
on the ETF news.

* Spot palladium XPD= was at $424.50 an ounce.
(Reporting by Frank Tang; Editing by Walter Bagley)

http://www.reuters.com/article/usDollarRpt/idUSN0739878520100107