SILVER

Commodity Online With gold's precipitous rise in 2007, silver has still achieved better returns over the life of the prevailing bull market in precious metals

Gold futures rose in New York, rallying nearly 2 percent Tuesday as the dollar continued to decline against the euro, boosting investors demand for the precious metal. Silver also gained.

Commodity prices falling almost as fast as they rose this year raise questions again on the wisdom of investing in such markets, but those in the game for long will say it's worth it, a market researcher said. Some are asking if commodity prices in general had gone up too high, too fast, leading to a bubble.

Commodity Online MUMBAI: The dream run by the precious metal along with silver seems to have ended at least for the time being as both suffered losses at the bullion market here on Tuesday.

Gold futures closed with modest gains Tuesday after the Federal Reserve said it will for the first time, lend $200 in treasuries in exchange for debt that includes mortgage-backed securities. Silver fell.

Gold futures finished with a modest loss on Monday, extending their decline from last week, as investors sold precious metals to cover losses in equity markets. Silver also fell.

Gold edged higher on Tuesday, continuing its rally as crude oil prices rose, the U.S. dollar weakened and a report showed rising U.S. producer prices.

Gold and silver futures rose after a report showed U.S. producer prices rose more than expected last month, increasing the appeal of the precious metals as a hedge against inflation.

Platinum soared Thursday after a drop in the dollar drove traders to shift funds into hard assets as safe-haven investments. Gold and silver also hit records.

Gold futures rose to a new record of $958.40 an ounce on Thursday on a weakening dollar which boosted the metal's appeal as an inflation hedge. Platinum and silver also hit new record highs.

Gold futures rallied near 3 percent on Tuesday, gaining the most in almost seven weeks on speculation of a weaker dollar while platinum surged more than 4 percent to another record high of $2,174 on persisting stockpile concerns from South Africa, the metals top producer.

Platinum futures hit a historic high for the sixth consecutive day, while gold also posted strong gains as continued concerns over supply shortages from South Africa boosted investors appeal for the precious metals.

Gold futures edged higher on Thursday, trading $912 an ounce, on speculation that central banks will mimic the U.S. by cut borrowing rates which boosted the appeal of the precious metal.

Platinum futures scaled a record high above $1,819 an ounce early Wednesday on continued concerns over supplies from top producer South Africa after the country started experiencing power cuts which have hindered mining operations. Gold also rose on investor demand.

Gold futures dropped sharply to end below $900 an ounce Tuesday, the lowest in more than a week, as a surge in the U.S. dollar lowered investment demand for the precious metal. Silver also declined.

Gold futures dived sharply on Friday, losing the most in two weeks, as the dollar rebounded against the euro and traders moved in to cash in on their gains. Silver fell from the highest it's been since 28 years.

U.S. gold futures finished above $880 on Tuesday after climbing to a record high, fueled by surging oil prices, a weakening dollar and tensions between the United States and Iran sparked demand for the precious metal.

Gold futures fell to a two-week low on Monday after the dollar rose against the Euro causing the precious metal to lose appeal for investors.

Gold rose on Monday with oil prices, but the dollar's slight rally against the euro sapped momentum and capped gains below the $800 mark.

Gold retraced early losses to hit a 28-year high on Monday on flight-to-quality demand due to credit-market jitters, offsetting lower crude prices and a stronger dollar.

Indexes tracking mining and metals shares rallied on Wednesday. The Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index surged 4.1% at 188.09 points. The CBOE Gold Index rose 3.5% at 190.18 points and the Amex Gold Bugs Index rallied 3.8% at 435.08 points.