21.02.201405:30:59UTC+00Gold surges higher, halting losses

Gold futures edged higher in electronic trading on Friday, breaking a string of losses, although silver stretched its move lower. April gold futures nailed $1.20 or 0.1%, to $1,318.10 per ounce, snipping its $3.50 loss yesterday on the New York Mercantile Exchange's Comex.

March silver plunged 6 cents or 0.3%, to $21.63 per ounce, following a 17-cent loss on Thursday. The moves came despite a gain, although modest, for the US dollar, with the ICE dollar index escalating to 80.330, previously 80.280.

April platinum rose $6 or 0.4%, to $1,418.50 per ounce, March palladium slacked 80 cents or 0.1%, to $735.50 per ounce, and March high-grade copper futures remained stable at $3.28 per pound.