GOLD

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U.S. stocks advanced in early trade on Wednesday after ADP National Employment report showed that the private sector employment rose more than expected in February.

Gold prices held just below the previous session's record high in Europe on Wednesday, as the acceleration of global inflation and the threat that violence in the Middle East and North Africa will spread supported interest in the metal as a haven from risk.

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Futures on major U.S. indices point to modestly lower opening on Wednesday as investors eye economic data including ADP national employment report.

Spot gold rallied to a record of $1,432.10 an ounce, surpassing its previous record of $1,430.95 set on December 7, as chaos in Libya and political turmoil in the Arab world prompted safe-haven buying and soaring oil prices boosted bullion's inflation hedge appeal.

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Gold jumped against a falling Dollar in London trade on Tuesday, touching $1,432.10 per ounce, one dollar above the all-time peak of 7th Dec. Silver marks a fresh all-time high at $34.44/oz, while Western stock markets fell and Brent crude oil rose towards new two-year highs.

South Africa's new energy resource plan, which will determine the country's electricity mix over the next 20 years, will be passed into law by the start of April, a government official said on Tuesday.

The silver market has greeted the revival of forward sales by miners with sanguinity as prices sit at 31-year highs, but other signals suggest supply may really be scarce and investors are poised for more price gains.

Spot gold rose to a session peak at $1,421.35 an ounce and was up 0.6 percent at $1,419.66 an ounce by 1240 GMT. It rose 6 percent in February, its largest monthly rise since August, when the U.S. Federal Reserve first indicated that it would continue the massive money printing by monetizing government bonds.

US stocks advanced in early trade on Tuesday, the first trading day of March, after markets recorded third consecutive monthly gains in February.

Gold was little changed near $1,410 an ounce on Monday but notched its biggest monthly gain since August as chaos in Libya and rising tensions across the Middle East prompted investors to buy the metal as a safe haven. The US dollar lost its status and is at November lows.

Buy Gold and Silver Safely provides those answers by explaining why gold and silver need to be a part of everyone's portfolio, and helping people learn about buying or selling gold and silver... the safe way.

Throughout history, gold has been a safe haven in times of political and economic crisis. Right now, gold's fundamentals are remarkably strong, says veteran commodities market analyst James DiGeorgia. In fact, gold is poised to boom-reaching, DiGeorgia predicts, as high as $2,500.

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South Africa's government bond curve steepened again on Monday with the yield spread between shorter and longer-dated debt hitting a record high as dealers positioned ahead of a debt auction on Tuesday.

US stocks opened higher in early trade on Monday, with S&P 500 Index gaining 7.54 points, or 0.57 percent, to trade at 1,326.97 at 09:55 a.m. EST. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 76.82 points, or 0.63 percent, to trade at 12,207.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index rose 0.49 percent to trade at 2,795.40.

The proportion of total gold demand accounted for by jewelry fell to just over 50 percent in 2009 from 75 percent in 2004. In the same period investment demand nearly tripled. But jewelry buyers still have a key role to play in the gold market, which they are likely to keep despite any slight fall-off in demand.

Gold rose to $1,413 an ounce in Europe on Monday as turmoil in the Middle East region lifted safe-haven buying and fueled a fresh spike in oil prices, stoking concerns over U.S. growth and knocking the dollar.

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