Most precious metals futures advanced Thursday, rebounding from lows that reached from almost 13 months to nearly a decade. God was the exception, edging lower on the day for a fresh, more than 18-month settlement low.
Gold for December delivery dipped $1, or less than 0.1%, to finish at $1,184 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The settlement is the lowest since Jan. 6, 2017, when prices ended at $1,173.40 an ounce.
"The underlying narratives of a strong dollar and relatively high U.S. interest rates still seem to be the predominant headwinds for gold," Reuters quoted INTL FCStone analyst Edward Meir.
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,167.10 to a high of $1,189. They declined 1.3% on Wednesday, added 0.2% on Tuesday, and lost 1.7% on Monday.
Meanwhile, silver for September jumped 25.9 cents, or 1.8%, to settle at $14.713 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $14.31 and $14.83. They plunged 4% on Wednesday — ending at their worst level since Feb. 2, 2016, rose 0.5% on Tuesday, and tumbled 2.1% on Monday.
In other precious metals futures prices on Thursday:
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After ending Wednesday at the lowest point since late 2008, October platinum advanced $12.60, or 1.6%, to $784.50 an ounce, ranging from $755.70 to $795.70.
- After closing Wednesday at the weakest level since July 7, 2017, palladium for September delivery surged $37.60, or 4.5%, to $874.80 an ounce, trading between $815.20 and $887.50.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Wednesday PM to Thursday PM:
- Gold declined $1.60, or 0.1%, to 1,180.40 an ounce.
- Silver fell 22 cents, or 1.5%, to $14.605 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2018
United States Mint bullion sales were unchanged. Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday | Last Week | This Week | July | August | 2018 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 6,000 | 2,000 | 31,500 | 8,500 | 127,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1,000 | 0 | 18,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 50,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25,000 | 0 | 150,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 9,000 | 1,500 | 24,500 | 11,000 | 89,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 235,000 | 265,000 | 885,000 | 530,000 | 8,237,500 |
| Pictured Rocks 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Apostle Islands 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Voyageurs 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
