COMMODITIES-Near records, still a safe haven in choppy seas

By Nick Trevethan

SINGAPORE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Commodity prices hovered just short of record peaks on Wednesday, finding favour with investors looking for a safe haven away from shaky equity and risky debt markets.

Crude oil traded just short of $100 a barrel, gold was $10 shy of its record touched in early February and base metal copper was seen gearing up for a push towards a two-year record, despite a lacklustre macroeconomic outlook.

"People want to get into commodities and damn the consequences. Given what is going on in other markets -- equities are wobbly and some bonds are verging on toxic -- people see commodities as a safe haven," MF Global analyst Edward Meir said. Gold XAU= ticked higher to $927.90/926.70 an ounce from $927.00/927.80 an ounce late in New York, just short of the Feb 1 record of $936.50. Platinum XPT= however took a bit of a hit on selling in Japan ahead of new margin rules in Tokyo.

Spot platinum XPT= fell to $2,080/2,090 an ounce from $2,140/2,150 late in New York on Tuesday, when it rallied to its 14th consecutive record high.

Platinum has gained more than 30 percent in 2008 after mines in South Africa, which accounts for four-fifths of the world's supply, ground to a halt for five days at the height of last month's power crisis.

"People are nervous because platinum prices have risen too rapidly," said Yukuji Sonoda, precious metals analyst at Daiichi Commodities in Tokyo.

"This is only temporary. The South African problem is quite unchanged. It tends to get worse day by day," said Sonoda, who pegged support at $2,000 an ounce.

Supply worries also underpinned oil, which surged nearly 5 percent to a record above $100 a barrel on Tuesday.