Gold futures and exchange traded funds (ETFs) began to stage a turnaround in trading today after the dollar once again fell and oil futures hit new records.
Gold today rose to $870.70, reports Bob Ewing for Digital Journal. Meanwhile, the dollar stepped back from its growth spurt, falling against the euro, and oil hit a record $120.01 a barrel, John Wilen for the Associated Press reports.
That sent investors once again scurrying for cover.
The gold-focused ETFs, streetTRACK Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares COMEX Gold Trust (IAU), surged higher after a difficult stretch a few days ago. They both closed on Friday down 3.1% for the week. iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was trading higher today, too. All three funds rose 2% at the end of trading today.
Last week, the situation looked a little different. Gold for June delivery closed on Friday at $858 an ounce. The U.S. dollar jumped after new of the U.S. labor market was not too shabby, as expected for April, report Polya Lesova and Mayra P. Saefong on MarketWatch.
As prices fell, the questions began: has the commodities bubble burst? Much like gold, wheat, rice, and silver were also on losing streaks. There was a slight rebound Friday as some of the losses appealed to bargain hunters, but are the commodities-as-a-safe haven thoughts in the past?
Where it goes next is anybody’s guess.
The opinions and forecasts expressed herein are solely those of Tom Lydon, and may not actually come to pass. Information on this site should not be used or construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any product.