GOLD

Silver mining company shares declined Friday as the price of the gray metal fell more than 2 percent. U.S. stock indexes mostly edged down, suggesting that investors are measuring the improvement in labor market against a declining euro.

The United States Mint said Friday public tours of its production plant in Philadelphia are being closed until this summer so the facility can be renovated.

The deteriorating global growth outlook has meant the underperformance of the platinum group metals relative to gold, although supply disruptions could provide some relief to weaker demand. Of the PGM group, palladium is more likely to outperform in 2012, given its stronger links to U.S. and Chinese demand.

Shares of companies that mine precious metals drifted lower Friday along with the broader equity market and the price of gold.

Deutsche Bank said Friday negative real interest rates, central bank buying, dollar weakness and prospects for a European Central Bank balance sheet expansion augur well for gold prices to achieve a 12th consecutive annual gain.

Heavily armed robbers tried to steal a stack of gold bars from a plane at an airstrip near a mine in Tanzania owned by AngloGold Ashanti but were thwarted by the country's police.

Gold prices rose Friday as concerns about the Eurozone's economy and the health of its banks offset the effect of a stronger dollar.

Two South African gold mining companies have reported workers deaths.

Barclays Capital released its 2012 price outlook for precious metals Thursday. Despite short-term hurdles, a clouded macro-economic environment against a backdrop of low interest rates and political uncertainties continue to stoke investor appetite for a more diversified and less riskier portfolio.

Silver mining company shares rose Thursday as the price of the gray metal climbed nearly 1 percent and the broader equity markets posted gains.

Gold rose on Thursday, a day after it broke ranks with riskier assets, on track to extend to a fifth straight day of gains in the face of a sharp fall in the euro on renewed European debt fears.

Gold was on course for a fifth straight session of gains on Thursday as growing anxiety on Iran boosted its safe-haven appeal and rising seasonal demand in China buoyed sentiment.

As India gold prices dipped backed by a strengthening rupee, jewellers restocked for the upcoming wedding season in the world's biggest consumer of the precious metal, dealers said.

Gold prices rose Thursday as Chinese purchases of physical gold and concerns Iran might spark a regional conflict by attempting to block the Strait of Hormuz offset concerns over a Eurozone recession.

Gold rose around 1 percent on Wednesday, breaking ranks with the euro as renewed hedge fund and technical buying put the precious metal on track for its fourth straight day of gains.

Gold was set for its strongest two-day rally in 2-1/2 months on Wednesday after an agreement in principle among European leaders to ban Iranian oil imports boosted the crude price and catapulted bullion to two-week highs.

India has made hallmarking gold jewelery mandatory, a senior government minister said on Wednesday, a move that could boost demand in the world's biggest gold market by taking care of quality worries.

Gold demand in India, the world's top consumer of the metal, was moderate on Wednesday as some jewellers chose to restock despite a price rise, dealers said Wednesday.

The euro could rebound in the near-term despite the problems affecting continental Europe, as investors are overly bearish on the currency, investor Jim Rogers said on Tuesday.

The largest shareholders of Middle East jeweller Damas International have appointed a financial adviser ahead of a potential sale of some of their shares, the firm said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

Stock index futures fell on Wednesday after a sharp market rally in the previous session, as investors focused again on Europe's debt problems.

Gold prices opened higher Wednesday after opening the new year with a 2 percent rally on expectations of increasing Asian demand and support from the price of crude oil.

India has made hallmarking gold jewellery mandatory, a senior government minister said on Wednesday, a move that could boost demand in the world's biggest gold market by taking care of quality worries.

Wall Street stocks kicked off 2012 with a sharp rally on Tuesday after data showed U.S. manufacturing activity and construction spending picked up, signaling the economic recovery was gaining steam.

Stocks slightly added to their sharp gains on Tuesday, with both the Dow and S&P advancing two percent after data on construction spending and manufacturing came in higher than expected.

Gold rose 1 percent on Friday, rebounding from losses earlier this week that sent the market briefly into bear territory, and the metal sealed its 11th consecutive year of gains.

Gold rose two percent on Friday in a rebound rally, boosted as the euro rose against the dollar and as investors covered short positions the session after the metal hit a six-month low and briefly entered bear-market territory.

Stocks were nearly unchanged on Friday, the last trading day of a turbulent year, but the S&P 500 looked set to end with a slight gain.

Silver Scott Mines Inc. said Friday it signed a four-year earn-in deal with Pediment Gold Corp. to explore prospects in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur.