Gold futures registered their first increase in three sessions Wednesday. The precious metal before this week scored eleven straight session advances.
Gold for February delivery rose $5.60, or 0.4%, to settle at $1,319.30 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"Safe-haven demand for the yellow metal was featured amid a rise in world government bond yields that troubled the marketplace," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report. "A lower U.S. dollar index on this day also provided support to the precious metals."
Gold futures traded from a low of $1,308.90 to a high of $1,328.60. They declined 0.5% on Tuesday and slipped 0.1% in starting the trading week on Monday.
Silver for March delivery added 2.5 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $17.035 an ounce. Silver futures ranged from $16.93 to $17.22. They fell 0.8% on Tuesday and on Monday.
In PGM futures on Wednesday:
-
April platinum moved up $6.50, or 0.7%, to $978.80 an ounce, trading between $962.30 and $979.20.
- Palladium for March delivery tumbled $20.75, or 1.9%, to $1,077.40 an ounce, ranging from $1,077 to $1,098.15. They closed at a new all-time high in the previous session.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Tuesday PM to Wednesday PM:
- Gold rose $8.75, or 0.7%, to $1,319.75 an ounce.
- Silver added 8 cents, or 0.5%, to $17.135 an ounce.
LBMA platinum and palladium prices are available on the LBMA’s website with a delay of midnight
US Mint Bullion Sales in 2018
U.S. Mint bullion sales logged gains of 7,000 ounces in American Gold Eagles; 2,500 ounces in American Gold Buffalos; and by 25,000 ounces in American Silver Eagles.
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 Sales | Last Week | This Week | December | 2017 Sales | 2018 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 0 |
| $25 American Eagle 1 Oz Palladium Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15,000 | 0 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 3,500 | 0 | 23,000 | 38,000 | 228,500 | 23,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 2,000 | 0 | 11,000 | 3,000 | 37,000 | 11,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 6,000 | 0 | 24,000 | 4,000 | 64,000 | 24,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 10,000 | 0 | 55,000 | 25,000 | 395,000 | 55,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 2,500 | 0 | 15,500 | 14,000 | 99,500 | 15,500 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 25,000 | 0 | 2,520,000 | 742,000 | 18,065,500 | 2,520,000 |
| 2017 Effigy Mounds 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35,000 | 0 |
| 2017 Frederick Douglass 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 0 |
| 2017 Ozark Riverways 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 0 |
| 2017 Ellis Island 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40,000 | 0 |
| 2017 George Rogers Clark 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32,400 | 0 |
