BLBG: Gold May Climb a Third Day as Greek Debt Woes Spur Haven Demand
By Kim Kyoungwha
April 22 (Bloomberg) -- Gold may climb for a third day as doubts that a Greek aid package will stem the nation’s debt crisis prompt investors to seek a refuge.
Gold for immediate delivery swung between a gain of 0.1 percent and a matching loss before trading little changed at $1,146.50 an ounce at 8:58 a.m. in Singapore. The 16-nation euro traded near a two-week low against the dollar on speculation that discussions on a 45 billion-euro ($60 billion) aid package for Greece may face hurdles.
“Gold will probably enjoy more safe-haven buying as Greece appears to have remained a source of concern for markets,” said Steve Chun, a commodity trader with Hyundai Futures Co. in Seoul.
The International Monetary Fund called Greece’s fiscal crisis a “wake-up call” on sovereign-debt risks. Gold has gained 29 percent in the past year, reaching a record $1,226.56 an ounce on Dec. 3.
Commodity prices will remain “high by historical standards” as demand rebounds and spare supply capacity and inventories decline, the IMF said yesterday. The Washington- based fund raised its 2010 global growth forecast to 4.2 percent from 3.9 percent in its World Economic Outlook.
“The tension between rapid demand and sluggish capacity growth is therefore likely to re-emerge once the global recovery matures into a sustained expansion, thereby keeping prices at elevated levels by historical standards,” the IMF said.
Platinum and palladium dropped, after climbing yesterday to their highest levels since 2008. Platinum for immediate delivery fell 0.2 percent to $1,729.75 an ounce and palladium lost 0.9 percent to $561.13 an ounce. Silver decreased 0.2 percent to $18.065 an ounce.
To contact the reporter on this story: Kyoungwha Kim in Singapore at Kkim19@bloomberg.net