The following are New York midsession prices and market updates for precious metals and copper: GOLD * Gold for February delivery rises $39.20, or 4.6 percent, to $898.00 an ounce at 12:40 p.m. EST (1740 GMT) on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. * The range spanned $852.10 to $903.80 -- the highest price since Oct. 10. * Currency volatility adds nervousness to markets, bolstering buying of gold as a safe haven - fund manager. * Gold market sentiment bullish as the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust , commonly known as GLD, said its bullion holdings jumped over 13 tonnes to record 819.11 tonnes of gold as of Jan. 22. * Individuals retail investors bought GLD as they realized the global financial crisis could last longer than they had expected - fund manager. * Spot gold was at $895.00 an ounce, up 4.6 percent from the last trade on Thursday. * London afternoon gold fix at $875.75 an ounce. SILVER * March rises 61.5 cents, or 5.4 percent, to $11.980 an ounce on gold's strength. * Ranged $11.260 to $12.075. * Spot silver quoted at $11.96 an ounce, up 4.9 percent from its previous session close. * Silver fixed in London at $11.46 an ounce. PLATINUM * NYMEX April platinum gained $20.60, or 2.2 percent, to $955.50 an ounce on broad-based precious metals strength. * Spot platinum was quoted at $947.00 an ounce, 2.3 percent higher than its last finish. PALLADIUM * NYMEX March palladium rises $13.20, or 7.1 percent, to $198 an ounce on pent-up buying after recent weakness. * Spot palladium was quoted at $189.00 an ounce, 3.9 percent higher than its previous close on Thursday. COPPER * COMEX copper for March delivery climbs 6.15 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $1.4575 a lb. * The session range from a fresh three-week low at $1.3730 to $1.4770. * Copper buoyed by broader strength in the precious metals complex and short-covering rally in front of the week-long Lunar New Year in China - brokers. * Investor optimism for U.S. economic stimulus plan providing additional upside support - traders. * U.S. President Barack Obama expected an $825 billion stimulus package for the ailing U.S. economy to be approved by his target of mid-February. [ID:nLN761434] * Record low U.S. housing starts and building permits in December highlight copper's weakened state of demand. [ID:nN21489514] * London Metal Exchange copper stocks added another 2,175 tonnes to a five-year high of 424,625 tonnes - equivalent to more than a week of global copper demand. * COMEX copper stocks went up 480 short tons to 38,535 short tons as of Thursday. * Copper inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 4 percent on the week ended Thursday. [ID:nBJD000556] * London Metal Exchange copper for three months delivery settled up $161 at $3,251 a tonne, near the upper end of its $3,055 to $3,270 session range. (Reporting by Frank Tang and Chris Kelly; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

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