By Chikako Mogi TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) - Spot gold prices rose to their highest in four months on a jump in the euro and investment demand, while platinum and palladium hit multi-month highs on expectations of strengthening industrial demand as the economy recovers. Gold prices were underpinned by investors fleeing to safety amid lingering concerns about Europe's financial stability, symbolised by Greece's debt crisis. The metal ended last week up about 3 percent, the biggest gain since the week of Jan. 10. Reflecting healthy investment demand, holdings at the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD), rose to an all-time high of 1,141.041 tonnes as of April 9, topping the previous record hit the day before. [GOL/SPDR] <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Graphic on gold holdings: link.reuters.com/qux37j ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> Spot gold XAU= climbed as high as $1,168.70 per ounce early in Asian trade on Monday, its highest since Dec. 4, and stood at $1,165.20 as of 0229 GMT, up 0.5 percent from New York's notional close of $1,159.00. "The market is technically bullish and that may spur fund buying, so I expect a bit more upside for gold," said Yuichi Ikemizu, Tokyo branch manager for Standard Bank. Spot gold's rise to four-month highs was triggered when stops lined up at $1,165 were hit, after a key resistance of $1,162 was broken, Ikemizu said. He said physical buyers were sidelined. Noncommercial net long U.S. gold futures positions jumped 17 percent to 203,466 contracts in the week ended April 6 from 173,766 contracts a week earlier, the biggest percentage rise in eight months and the highest level in a month. [ID:nN09115779] Koichiro Kamei, managing director at research firm Market Strategy Institute in Tokyo, said many players were waiting to see whether funds would push prices above $1,170. "If prices fail to rise above that level, physical buyers will likely come in to take profits, pushing prices lower to levels attractive for buying again," Kamei said. U.S. gold futures for June delivery GCM0 inched up 0.4 percent at $1,166.40 per ounce compared to $1,161.90 an ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Spot palladium XPD= rose to a two-year high of $518.25, the highest since March 2008, while spot platinum XPT= marked a 20-month high of $1,734.00, the highest since Aug. 1, 2008. Silver XAG= rose as high as $18.54 an ounce, the highest since Jan. 20. The euro jumped to its highest in nearly a month on Monday, after European Union leaders agreed to a rescue package for Greece that traders said could drive investors to cover short positions. [USD/] Strength in the global gold market and the yen's recent weakening helped boost gold prices on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange, with those for February 2011 delivery JAUc6 rising to 3,505 yen, the highest since mid-April 1983.

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