Most precious metals futures advanced Thursday. Silver was the exception. Gold climbed for a second day in a row after falling for three straight.
Gold for April delivery added $4.80, or 0.4%, to settle at $1,347.90 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"A continued erosion of the U.S. dollar in the foreign exchange markets worked to support the yellow metal on this day," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report.
"Traders and investors are looking ahead to Friday morning’s monthly U.S. employment situation report from the Labor Department," Wyckoff added.
Gold futures traded from a low of $1,340.20 to a high of $1,354.30. They rose 0.2% on Wednesday, ending the month of January with a 2.6% gain.
Silver for March delivery declined 8.6 cents, or 0.5%, to settle at $17.155 an ounce. Silver futures ranged from $17.07 to $17.38. They added 1.1% on Wednesday, closing out last month with a 0.6% increase.
In other precious metals futures:
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April platinum moved up $3.50, or 0.4%, to $1,007.80 an ounce, trading between $995.90 and $1,013.40.
- Palladium for March delivery rose $1.15, or 0.1%, to $1,024.70 an ounce, ranging from 1,012.35 and $1,038.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Wednesday PM to Thursday PM:
- Gold declined $3.70, or 0.3%, to $1,341.35 an ounce.
- Silver fell 4 cents, or 0.2%, to $17.19 an ounce.
- Platinum declined $7, or 0.7%, to $996 an ounce.
- Palladium fell $12, or 1.1%, to $1,039 an ounce.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2018
U.S. Mint bullion sales were unchanged. Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday / Feb | Last Week | This Week | December | 2017 Sales | 2018 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 4,500 | 1,000 | 38,000 | 228,500 | 36,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 3,000 | 37,000 | 16,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 4,000 | 64,000 | 26,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 25,000 | 395,000 | 80,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,500 | 500 | 14,000 | 99,500 | 24,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 325,000 | 140,000 | 742,000 | 18,065,500 | 3,235,000 |
