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STOCK, DOLLAR SLIP

Gold set for biggest weekly rise in 6 months

LONDON, December 12, 2014

Gold edged lower on Friday as some buyers cashed in recent gains, but remained on track for its biggest weekly rise since June as the dollar retreated and sliding oil prices hurt risk appetite and stocks.

Gold is up nearly three per cent so far this week, following a 2.1 per cent jump the previous week. Falling stock markets have prompted some investors to buy the metal as an alternative asset, while a drop in the greenback made dollar-priced bullion cheaper for other currency holders.

Spot gold was down 0.2 per cent at 1302 GMT at $1,225.10 an ounce at 1302 GMT, while US gold futures for December delivery fell 30 cents to $1,225.30.

"Gold and silver have both had a very good week, going against the trend seen elsewhere,"Saxo Bank's head of commodity research Ole Hansen said. "We have reached levels which short sellers have been attracted to in the past and this may slow the positive momentum that has emerged during the past week."

"Overall there is a feeling out there that traders are now going defensive on their positions and this is weakening the dollar, thereby adding some support to precious metals."

The dollar index was down 0.4 per cent on Friday and European stocks slid another 1.3 per cent, with further declines in the price of oil hitting energy stocks and political concerns over Greece also curbing risk appetite.

Benchmark Brent crude oil futures fell 1.3 per cent to below $63 a barrel, the lowest since July 2009. Brent is down eight per cent this week, and 45 per cent below its June peak.

The improved sentiment towards gold was seen in the holdings of the world's top bullion-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, which rose 0.13 per cent to 725.75 tonnes on Thursday, up nearly five tonnes this week.

That marks a second straight week of inflows, and the biggest weekly increase in its holdings since early July.

"The longer gold holds above $1,200, the more it may attract fresh buying and gold ETFs may begin to build," HSBC analysts said in a note.

Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.2 per cent at $17.11 an ounce, while spot platinum was down 0.1 per cent at $1,234.99 an ounce and spot palladium was down 0.3 per cent at $813.50 an ounce. - Reuters




Tags: Gold | rise | weekly |

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