NEW YORK, June 16 (Reuters) - Gold futures ended up on
Tuesday but off session highs, as a late sell-off in crude oil
took a toll on strong dollar-hedge buying based on a sharply
lower U.S. currency.
For the latest detailed report, click on [GOL/].
GOLD
* August GCQ9 settled up $4.70 at $932.20 an ounce on the
COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
* Ranged from $927.70 to $940.60.
* Initial gold rally fizzled as oil sharply erased gains on
lingering worries about the ailing economy, denting bullion's
appeal as an inflation hedge.
* It is not surprising to see the August contract move
toward testing its 200-day moving average at just above $900 an
ounce - Frank McGhee, head precious metals trader of Integrated
Brokerage Services.
* Gold boosted as the dollar extended losses against the
euro on the back of better-than-expected U.S. housing starts
data in May, prompting investors to sell the greenback and buy
other riskier investments - traders.
* August futures largely shook off a lower-than-expected
U.S. producer price index in May, but longer-term inflation
potential provided background support to gold - traders.
* Dollar-hedge buying increased in the gold market on
speculations that BRIC (Brasil, Russia, India and China)
countries could diversify reserves portfolios away from the
U.S. Treasuries - traders.
* Oil and gold are overvalued at current prices, which do
not reflecting their market fundamentals, and it maybe too soon
to hedge with gold because of expected deflationary pressure in
the next two years - economist Nouriel Roubini.
[ID:nN16291653]
* COMEX estimated final volume at 72,880 lots.
* Gold/oil ratio turns higher, up at 13.21, against the
13.16 of the previous session, as oil prices pared gains late
in the session on Tuesday.
* Spot gold <XAU=> traded at $934.15 at 3:26 p.m. EDT (1926
GMT), up 0.7 percent from its previous session.
* London gold fix <XAUFIX=> at $934 an ounce.
SILVER
* July SIN9 ended up 10 cents at $14.130 an ounce,
rebounding from a nearly 6 percent tumble in the previous
session.
.* Ranged from $14.050 to $14.405.
* COMEX estimated final volume at 21,921 lots.
* Spot silver <XAG=> was at $14.19 an ounce, up 1.0 percent
from its previous finish.
* London silver fix <XAGFIX=> at $14.30 an ounce.
