NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures ended higher on Tuesday, inching closer to the $1,000 mark, as a weakening U.S. dollar prompted more investors to pile into bullion as a hedge against dollar-denominated portfolios. For the latest detailed report, click on [GOL/]. GOLD * August GCQ9 settled up $4.40 at $984.40 an ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. * Ranged from $970.50 to $988.30. * Gold buying increased as the dollar extended Monday's losses to hit 2009 lows against the euro and a basket of major currencies. * Better-than-expected U.S. pending home sales data increased investor appetite in riskier assets, and that further weighed on the dollar. * Investors viewed gold as insurance against the falling value of their dollar-denominated portfolios. The inverse relationship between gold and the dollar broke down early this year as both assets benefited from a flight to safety. * Strong investment flow into gold boosted prices. Bullion holdings in SPDR Gold Trust (GLD: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's biggest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, climbed 15.27 tonnes to a record 1,134.03 tonnes as of June 1. [ID:nT205575] * The Vietnamese government said on Tuesday it would allow Vietnamese companies that produce gold abroad to import that gold into Vietnam. [ID:nHAN155233] * COMEX estimated final volume at 87,231 lots * Gold/oil ratio at 14.26, slightly lower than the 14.30 of the previous session. * Spot gold traded at $980.65 an ounce at 2:42 p.m. EDT (1842 GMT), up 0.7 percent from its late Monday quote in New York. * London gold fix $980 an ounce. SILVER * July futures SIN9 ended up 22.0 cents, or 1.4 percent, at $15.955 an ounce, driven by ETF investment demand. * Ranged from $15.450 to $16.020. * COMEX estimated final volume at 39,020 lots * The holdings of the iShares Silver Trust SLV rose 260.36 tonnes from the previous day to a record 8,608.54 tonnes. * The price of silver will rise further in 2009 following a sharp rally in May, fueled by a combination of rising investor interest, recovering industrial demand and flat industry output - Coeur d'Alene Mines Corp (CDE.N: Quote, Profile, Research). [ID:nN01546785] * Spot silver was at $15.94 an ounce, up 2.3 percent from its previous finish. * London silver fix at $15.62 an ounce. PLATINUM * NYMEX July platinum PLN9 finished up $22.80, or 1.9 percent, at $1,243.40 an ounce amid economic optimism as U.S. stocks rose further on Tuesday. * Platinum rose in spite of an anticipated sharp drop in U.S. auto sales in May, with GM down 30 percent, Ford 24 percent lower and Chrysler down 47 percent. * The global car industry accounts for 60 percent of total platinum demand for use in automobile catalytic converters. * The potential "overhang" of GM-related platinum selling has passed. Supply/demand fundamentals rather than technical issues are expected to determine the direction of platinum prices - UBS Investment Bank. * Spot platinum at $1,238.00 an ounce, up 2.4 percent from its late Monday quote. PALLADIUM * September palladium PAU9 closed up $7.60, or 3.1 percent, at $251.35 an ounce, tracking platinum's gains. * Spot palladium was at $246.00 an ounce, up 3.4 percent from its previous finish.

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