China gold reserve news lift U.S. gold futures

Fri Apr 24, 2009 4:38pm BST
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 NEW YORK, April 24 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures rose on Friday
after China said that it had raised its gold reserves to 1,054
tonnes, signaling strong underlying investment interest from central
banks.
 For the latest detailed report, click on [GOL/].
 GOLD
 * Gold for June delivery GCM9 rose $2.60 to $909.20 an ounce
at 11:08 a.m. EDT (1608 GMT) on the COMEX division of New York
Mercantile Exchange.
 * Ranged from $904.20 to $914.30 -- which marked its highest
price since April 1.
 * China revealed on Friday that it had secretly raised its gold
reserves by three-quarters since 2003, increasing its holdings to
1,054 tonnes and confirming years of speculation it had been buying.
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 * Gold futures traded higher but did not rally further because
the market had already anticipated increasing central banks'
interest in the yellow metal - traders.
 * China's announcement indicated global monetary authorities,
not just investment funds, are viewing gold with a stronger interest
- Jeffrey Christian, managing director of CPM Group.
 * Other analysts, however, said that the amount of gold bought
by China was disappointing.
 * China's confirmation of its gold holdings was not surprising
given the broad rise in all the country's reserves - John Lipsky,
first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund.
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 * The IMF last year approved the sale of 403 tonnes of gold from
its stocks of 3,217 tonnes (103.4 million ounces) as part of a plan
to put its finances on a sounder footing and create an endowment
with the proceeds.
 * China's move will raise expectations of further Chinese
purchases, and not just about the IMF's proposed sale - John Reade,
head of metals strategy at UBS.
 * COMEX estimated 11 a.m. electronic futures volume at 51,073
lots. Floor volume was not available due to a technical glitch.
 * Spot gold XAU= traded at $909.20 an ounce, up 0.8 percent
from its late Thursday quote in New York.
 * The London afternoon gold fix XAUFIX= was $907.50 an ounce.
 SILVER
 * COMEX May silver SIK9 up 3.5 cents at $12.790 an ounce,
following gold's rally.
 * Ranged between $12.650 and $12.940.
 * COMEX estimated 11 a.m. electronic futures volume at 11,045
lots.
 * Spot silver XAG= was at $12.80 an ounce, up 0.5 percent from
its previous finish.
 * The London silver fix XAGFIX= at $12.780 an ounce.
 PLATINUM
 * NYMEX July platinum PLN9 down $4.50 at $1,183.50 an ounce on
profit taking ahead of the weekend.
 * Platinum seen trading in range of $900 to $1,375 an ounce in
2009 - GFMS. [ID:nLM198986]
 * Spot platinum XPT= at $1,175.50 an ounce, down 0.3 percent
from its late Thursday quote.
 PALLADIUM
 * June palladium PAM9 up $2.95, or 1.3 percent, at $235.45 an
ounce.
 * Palladium prices to range from $170 to $325 an ounce - GFMS.
[ID:nLM198986]
 * Spot palladium XPD= was at $232.50 an ounce, up 0.9 percent
from its previous finish.
 (Reporting by Frank Tang; Editing by Marguerita Choy)






























 
 
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