China gold reserve news lift U.S. gold futures
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. [ID:nN24389484]
* 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. [ID:nN24389484]
* 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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