New York gold futures ended slightly higher in mixed trade on Friday as the dollar weakened after a government report showed US job losses were worse than expected in October. December settled up $2.00 at $734.20 an ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Range from $725.50 to $744.90.
GOLD: Gold supported by weak US nonfarm payrolls data, but preweekend position squaring also seen - RBC Capital Markets Global Futures Vice President George Gero.
US employers slashed an unexpectedly steep 240,000 jobs from payrolls last month and the jobless rate shot up to a 14-1/2 year high. But gold could weaken in the near term as liquidation by hedge funds might not be over - Gero. Gold dropped 1.5 percent on Thursday due to a resumption of fund deleveraging and bullion did not attract flight to safety demand.
The price of gold has not fallen as sharply as the price of crude oil and other cyclical commodities during the global financial crisis, and bullion should strengthen relative to other commodities as economic troubles deepen. COMEX estimated final volume at 104,799 lots, and options turnover at 18,751 contracts. Spot gold at $734.10 at 3:28 pm EST (2028 GMT), up 0.5 percent from Thursday's close of $732.95.
SILVER: December ended down 9.20 cents to $9.963 an ounce. Silver firmed on bargain hunting in oversold market conditions - traders. Support seen in the near term as $10 silver seemed to hold - RBC Capital Markets. COMEX estimated final volume at 18,751 lots. Spot silver at $10.11, up 1.5 percent from Thursday's close of $9.96.
PLATINUM: NYMEX January platinum finished up $13.70, or 1.6 percent, to $852.00 an ounce. Platinum, mostly used as an industrial metal for catalytic converters in cars, rebounded after Thursday's decline based on dismal global auto sales. Spot platinum fetched $847, up 2.5 percent from Thursday's finish.
PALLADIUM: December palladium closed up $1.40 at $224.00 an ounce on pent-up buying after recent weakness. Spot palladium fetched $220.50, up 2.6 percent from its previous close.