Most precious metals futures rose Tuesday, led by palladium. Gold slid lower for a second day in a row but is down just 0.4% on the week so far.
Gold for February delivery declined $2.20, or 0.2%, to settle at $1,247.20 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
"Technically, February gold futures bulls have the overall near-term technical advantage. A four-week-old price uptrend is in place on the daily bar chart," Jim Wyckoff, a senior analyst at Kitco Metals Inc., said in a report. "Gold bulls’ next upside near-term price breakout objective is to produce a close above solid technical resistance at the July high of $1,284.10. Bears’ next near-term downside price breakout objective is pushing prices below solid technical support at $1,225.00."
Gold futures ranged from a low of $1,245.80 to a high of $1,255.10. They lost 0.3% on Monday.
Elsewhere, silver for March delivery gained 2.3 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $14.628 an ounce. Silver futures traded between $14.60 and $14.82. They slipped 0.6% on Monday.
In other precious metals prices Tuesday:
-
January platinum added $3.40, or 0.4%, to $785.50 an ounce, ranging from $780.10 to $791.30.
- Palladium for March delivery advanced $18.60, or 1.6%, to $1,177.30 an ounce, trading between $1,161 and $1,184.90.
London Precious Metals Prices
In comparing earlier fixed London gold and silver prices from Monday PM to Tuesday PM:
- Gold was unchanged at 1,245.35 an ounce.
- Silver rose 11 cents, or 0.8%, to $14.64 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
United States Mint bullion sales advanced by a combined 2,000 ounces in American Eagle and Buffalo gold coins and by 75,000 ounces in American Silver Eagles.
Below is a sales breakdown of U.S. Mint bullion products with columns listing the number of coins sold during varying periods.
| US Mint Bullion Sales (# of coins) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday / This Week | Last Week | November | December | 2018 Sales | |
| $100 American Eagle 1 Oz Platinum Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| $50 American Eagle 1 Oz Gold Coin | 1,000 | 0 | 16,000 | 1,000 | 189,000 |
| $25 American Eagle 1/2 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 4,000 | 0 | 32,000 |
| $10 American Eagle 1/4 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 2,000 | 0 | 62,000 |
| $5 American Eagle 1/10 Oz Gold Coin | 0 | 0 | 20,000 | 0 | 230,000 |
| $50 American Buffalo 1 Oz Gold Coin | 1,000 | 0 | 5,500 | 1,000 | 121,000 |
| $1 American Eagle 1 Oz Silver Coin | 75,000 | 150,000 | 1,645,000 | 225,000 | 15,435,000 |
| Pictured Rocks 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Apostle Islands 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Voyageurs 5 Oz Silver Coin* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30,000 |
| Cumberland Island 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52,500 |
| Block Island 5 Oz Silver Coin | 0 | 0 | 80,000 | 0 | 80,000 |
