Precious metals futures divided Thursday with gains in gold and silver and losses in platinum and palladium. Gold finished at a more than two-week high.
Gold for February delivery tacked on $8.70, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,565.40 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The settlement was the highest since Jan. 7.
"The safe-haven metal got a boost from a sell off in the U.S. stock market that was prompted in part by increased worries about a flu-type virus that is spreading from China," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a daily research note.
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,551.30 to a high of $1,567.50. They slipped 0.08% on Wednesday and they declined 0.2% in starting the trading week on Tuesday.
Silver for March delivery edged up one-tenth of a cent, or 0.01%, to end at $17.829 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $17.59 and $17.91 They edged 0.1% higher on Wednesday and they dropped 1.5% on Tuesday.
In other precious metals futures prices on Thursday:
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April platinum fell $14, or 1.4%, to $1,007.30 an ounce, ranging from $1,000.80 to $1,025.50.
- Palladium for March delivery shed $6.60, or 0.3%, to $2,329 an ounce, trading between $2,299 and $2,427. Palladium posted a new record settlement on Wednesday, soaring 4.6%.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Wednesday PM to Thursday PM:
- Gold added $6, or 0.4%, to $1,562.90 an ounce.
- Silver declined 17 cents, or 1%, to $17.60 an ounce.
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2020
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. Products with an asterisk (*) are no longer available.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday / This Week | November | December | 2020 Sales | |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 19,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin* | 0 | 5,000 | 0 | 13,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 14,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 5,000 | 1,500 | 10,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 463,000 | 0 | 2,298,000 |
