US gold futures ended higher on Monday as uncertainty on Ireland's ability to tackle its budget crisis and concern about possible contagion to other eurozone nations prompted safe-haven buying. COMEX December gold futures settled up $5.50 at $1,357.80 an ounce on the COMEX division of the NYMEX. Ranged between $1,347.90 and $1,367.40.
Turnover was thin ahead of a US Thanksgiving holiday. Gold futures volume was about 210,000 lots, 10 percent below its 30-day average and the lowest since November 2. Spot gold rose 0.7 percent at $1,363.75 an ounce at 3:07 pm EDT (2007 GMT). COMEX December silver ends up 28.20 or 1 percent at $27.461 an ounce, as holdings of metal in the world's largest silver-backed ETF hit another record high. Ranged from $27.075 to $27.895 an ounce.
COMEX trading volume at about 90,000 lots, 7 percent above its 30-day moving average. Spot silver rose 2 percent to $27.75 an ounce, rallying for a fourth successive day. NYMEX January platinum finished down $15.60 at $1,655.50 on broad-based industrial metal weakness. Spot platinum slipped 0.2 percent on the day at $1,659.50 an ounce. NYMEX December palladium closed down $19 or 2.7 percent at $684.70 an ounce on platinum's coattails. Spot palladium fell 1.3 percent to $689.22 an ounce.