Daily Gold Update

Source:Bill Musgrave, American Gold Exchange

AustinGold jumped 1.1% to close at $1,344.50, its highest finish since last September, after North Korea's test of a nuclear bomb rattled markets and drove investors into safe-haven assets.

North Korea successfully exploded its most potent nuclear weapon yet over the weekend. Following recent tests of long-range ballistic missiles and increasingly belligerent rhetoric, the move escalated fears of a possible confrontation with the US.

The Dow and Nasdaq plunged 1% while the S&P 500 fell around 0.9% as investors shed risk. The VIX volatility index, Wall Street's so-called "fear gauge," surged 34% for its biggest one-day rise in nearly a month.

The dollar rolled back against major rivals as traders shifted into the Swiss franc and Japanese yen, both considered safe-haven currencies. Treasury prices rose alongside gold as investors sought safety.

The other precious metals were mixed with silver adding 0.7% while platinum was unchanged and palladium dropped 2.1%.

At the Comex close: December gold jumped $14.10 to $1,344.50; December silver gained 13 cents to $17.94; October platinum was unchanged at $1,009; and December palladium lost $20.10 to $957 an ounce.