Precious metals futures moved ahead in their start to the new trading week on Monday. Most of them gained little.
Gold for April delivery climbed $2.50, or nearly 0.2%, to finish at $1,332.80 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The settlement is the highest since Feb. 16.
"A rebound in the U.S. dollar index from its overnight lows as the U.S. trading session progressed helped to limit buying interest in the precious metals," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report. "Also, big rallies in the U.S. stock indexes that have now taken back all of their February losses were a negative for the safe-haven metals markets today."
Gold futures traded from a low of $1,328 to a high of $1,342.90. They gave back 1.9% last week for their largest weekly decline of the year.
Silver for March delivery added 6.6 cents, or 0.4%, to end at $16.55 an ounce. Silver futures ranged from $16.43 to $16.72. They lost 1.4% last week.
In other precious metals futures on Monday:
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April platinum turned up $3, or 0.3%, to $1,001.80 an ounce, trading between $996 and $1,010.
- Palladium for June delivery — the new, most active contract — gained $14.05, or nearly 1.4%, to $1,054.45 an ounce, ranging from $1,039.60 to $1,060.20.
Last week, platinum fell 1.3% and palladium gained 0.5%.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Friday PM to Monday PM:
- Gold added $5.55, or 0.4%, to $1,333.50 an ounce.
- Silver added 6 cents, or 0.4%, to $16.67 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight.
Last week in LBMA metal prices, palladium rose 0.4% while the others registered declines of 1.8% for gold, 1.3% for silver, and 1.5% for platinum.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2018
U.S. Mint bullion products logged gains of 500 ounces in gold coins and 337,500 ounces in silver coins.
A portion of the silver sales included the first 2018-dated America the Beautiful Five Ounce Silver Bullion Coin. Emblematic of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan — just like the companion quarter, its first-day sales reached 20,000 coins for 100,000 ounces.
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) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Last Week | December | January | February | 2018 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | N/A | N/A | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 38,000 | 36,000 | 5,000 | 41,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 3,000 | 16,000 | 0 | 16,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 4,000 | 26,000 | 0 | 26,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 5,000 | 25,000 | 80,000 | 5,000 | 85,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 500 | 0 | 14,000 | 24,000 | 2,500 | 26,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 237,500 | 70,000 | 742,000 | 3,235,000 | 942,500 | 4,177,500 |
| Pictured Rocks 5 Oz Silver Coin | 20,000 | N/A | 20,000 | 20,000 | ||
