and may all your PROFITS be LARGE ONES.

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Gold rises 1.5% as U.S. dollar falters



London - Gold prices rallied more than 1.5 per cent on Thursday to above $1,100 an ounce as the dollar lost ground and on the back of robust investment flows betting on higher bullion prices.

Other precious metals took their cue from gold's strength with both palladium and platinum rallying to their highest in about a week at $375 an ounce and $1,4560.50 an ounce respectively.

Spot gold was at $1,104.05 an ounce by 1035 GMT, versus $1,087 an ounce late in New York on Wednesday. Bullion tumbled to a seven-week low of $1,074.10 an ounce earlier this week.

Analysts said the price moves were partly exaggerated due to low liquidity because of the Christmas holiday period, but the fundamentals which sent gold to an all-time high of $1,226.10 an ounce in early December were also still in place.

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Among other precious metals.

Spot silver was bid at $17.30 an ounce against $17.09.

Platinum was at $1,454 an ounce against $1,418.50,

Palladium was at $374 against $355.50.

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Oil firms near $77 on equities, inventory draws


London - Oil rose for a fourth day on Thursday, briefly touching a three-week high, as support came from equity gains and falls in oil inventories in key consumer markets.

By 1139 GMT, U.S. crude oil futures were trading 22 cents higher at $76.89 a barrel, having hit $77.48, the highest price since Dec. 4.

ICE Brent crude futures gained 6 cents to $75.51.

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	24 Hour Base Metals

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