Daily Gold Update

Source: Marketwatch

New York— Gold futures barreled to a new record high above $1,100 an ounce on Friday, as news that the U.S. unemployment rate topped 10.2% in October boosted expectations the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates near zero well into next year, pressuring the dollar. Gold for December delivery, the most active futures contract, rose as high as $1,100.50 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained up to $1,101.90 an ounce in electronic trade. It recently gained $5.20, or 0.5%, to $1,094.50 an ounce. Industrial metals, such as copper, however, moved lower. Copper, sometimes called "the metal with a Phd in economics," fell 1 cent, or 0.4%, to $2.94 a pound.

"With unemployment at 10%, the implications for Fed policy is that they have their hands tied and cannot defend the dollar," said Joe Foster, manager of the Van Eck International Investors Gold Fund. "We're going to see lots of new records going forward," he said. "By year end, it wouldn't surprise me to [see gold] test $1,200 and then $1,300 by early next year before we see some consolidation." See full story.