Precious metals rallied strongly in New York futures trading Thursday morning, led by gold's rise to a two-month high above $400 an ounce, amid a confluence of technical and geopolitical factors.
Gold grabbed the spotlight as a safe haven after insurgents intent on disrupting the June 30 US handover to Iraqi rule launched co-ordinated attacks that killed about 75 people in five Iraqi cities overnight.
Modest overnight gains in the yellow metal accelerated when news hit the wires just as New York metals trading opened that an explosion tore though a bus in Istanbul, Turkey, killing four. Earlier in the day a small parcel bomb exploded outside a hotel in Ankara, where US President George Bush is due to stay this weekend.
Active August gold ran into stop-loss purchase orders that pushed it to $403.00, its highest price since April 19. At 10:03 am EDT (1403 GMT), the contract was up $5 at $400.50, having bottomed at $394.80 overnight.
"There are about four things converging, could be five," said Graham Leighton, a vice president of bullion trading at Societe Generale.
Spot gold was quoted at $399.70/0.20, up from Wednesday's close at $394.50/5.25 but marked down from London's afternoon fix at $400.00 an ounce.
Short-covering unfolded as August gold moved above the 200-day moving average at $399.00 and the 100-day moving average at $400.20. Trend-following commodity funds jumped in to capitalise on the breakout.
Expectations of higher dollar deposit rates had capped zero-yield gold, until traders rejigged positions Thursday.
July silver was up 13.5 cents at $6.01 an ounce, trading from $5.86 to $6.02. Spot silver was quoted at $6.00/02, up from the close at $5.86/88 and Thursday's fix in London at $5.875.
July platinum was $3.60 higher at $813.00 an ounce. Spot fetched $808/813. September palladium was up $2.80 at $226.30. Spot was quoted $222/227.