Gold futures ended lower for a second straight session Wednesday, after notching a 3-1/2 month high on Monday, as U.S. stocks continued to rally and the dollar climbed. Silver, meanwhile, extended its streak of gains to five sessions and logged a 16-week high.
Gold for April delivery declined $3.90, or 0.3%, to settle at $1,250 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"More profit-taking pressure was seen from the shorter-term futures traders after prices Monday hit a 3.5-mongh high," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report. "A big ‘risk-on’ trading day in the world marketplace and some hawkish ‘Fed speak’ were negatives for the safe-haven metal today. A stronger U.S. dollar today was also bearish for the precious metals markets."
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,237.20 to a high of $1,251.40. They lost 0.4% on Tuesday, but still ended the month of February with a 5.2% increase. On Monday, they rose less than 0.1% to end at their best level since Nov. 10.
Silver for May delivery added 2 cents, or 0.1%, to close at $18.489 an ounce. The settlement is the highest since Nov. 10 when prices ended at $18.737 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $18.27 and $18.51. They surged 5.3% in February.
In other precious metals trading:
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April platinum declined $12.10, or 1.2%, to $1,018.90 an ounce, ranging from $1,014.60 to $1,030.20.
- Palladium for June delivery rose $7.30, or 1%, to $779 an ounce, trading between $769.05 and $783.90.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London bullion prices from Tuesday PM to Wednesday PM
- Gold declined $15.20, or 1.2%, to $1,240.40 an ounce.
- Silver added 5 cents, or 0.3%, to $18.33 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight.
US Mint Bullion Coin Sales in 2017
U.S. Mint bullion sales were unchanged as of 3:48 p.m. ET. This article will be updated if new figures become available by the end of the day.
Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. 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) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday / Mar Sales | Last Week | This Week | Feb Sales | 2017 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 3,000 | 1,500 | 21,000 | 107,500 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5,000 | 24,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 40,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 15,000 | 30,000 | 155,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 2,500 | 500 | 15,000 | 47,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 155,000 | 450,000 | 1,215,000 | 6,342,500 |
| 2017 Effigy Mounds 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 600 | 200 | 19,500 | 19,500 |
| 2016 Shawnee 5 Oz Silver Coins* | – | ||||
| 2016 Cumberland Gap 5 Oz Silver Coin* | – | ||||
| 2016 Harpers Ferry 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2016 Theodore Roosevelt 5 Oz Silver Coin* | – | – | |||
| 2016 Fort Moultrie 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
