Spot gold was little changed on Monday after a two-percent drop the previous business day as investors cashed in long positions after U.S. regulators charged Goldman Sachs, a leading commodities player, with fraud.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= inched up to $1,136.95 per ounce at 0013 GMT compared with New York's notional close of $1,136.45.
* Gold hit a trough below $1,130 on Friday, its lowest since April 6, reversing an earlier rally in the week to a four-month high of $1,168.70.
* It fell 2 percent on the week last week, marking its worst performance in a month and snapping a two-week winning streak.
* On Friday, safe-haven demand was absent in gold as the market fretted over further selling related to Goldman and the prospect of tighter financial regulations in metals and
commodities, traders said.
* U.S. gold futures for June delivery GCM0 edged up to $1,137.40 per ounce compared with Friday's settlement of $1,136.90 on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
* The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD: Quote, Profile, Research), said its holdings totalled 1,141.041 tonnes as of April 16, unchanged from the previous day.
* The world's largest silver-backed exchange-traded fund, the iShares Silver Trust (SLV: Quote, Profile, Research), said its bullion holdings as of April 16 fell 45.74 tonnes, or 0.5 percent, from the previous business day to 8,912.94 tonnes.
* Non-commercial net long U.S. gold futures positions rose to 220,742 contracts in the week to April 13, up 8.5 percent from 203,446 contracts a week earlier, according to the weekly Commitments of Traders report published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
* Spot palladium XPD= was down 0.4 percent at $526.25 per ounce from New York notional close of $528.50. Spot platinum XPT= fell 0.4 percent to $1,683 from $1,690.
* Silver XAG= was almost flat at $17.70.
MARKET NEWS
* The dollar and yen posted sharp gains on Friday after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charged Goldman, prompting investors to seek refuge in both safe haven currencies.
* Financial stocks plunged on Friday in the heaviest trading this year, dramatically ending Wall Street's six-day winning streak as the fraud charges and disappointing earnings sent investors running for cover. [.N]
* Tokyo's Nikkei stock average .N225 was down 1.5 percent on Monday. [.T]
* Oil prices CLc1 fell 2.65 percent on Friday. [O/R]
* China's cabinet on Saturday laid out further detailed measures for keeping the property sector in check, empowering and ordering local governments to take steps to control speculative buying.
* High prices deterred buyers in Abu Dhabi's gold market in the first quarter, sending retail sales at least 20 percent lower year-on-year, a trend seen continuing in the next quarter, traders said on Sunday.
DATA EVENTS
* The following data is expected on Monday: ECON
- Japan March consumer confidence index (0500 GMT)
- ECB's Bonello to present Bank of Malta report (0900 GMT)
- U.S. Commerce Secretary Locke speaks (1330 GMT)
- U.S. leading indicators for March (1400 GMT)
- ECB's Papademos presents report to EU parliament (1700 GMT)
- U.S. Treasury's Allison speaks (1910 GMT)
