Gold Climbs on Speculation Dollar Will Weaken Against Euro <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601012&sid=a8GfF7gLkgjQ&refer=commodities>
By Pham-Duy Nguyen Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Gold in New York rose on speculation the dollar will weaken against the euro, boosting the appeal of the precious metal as an alternative investment. Gold sometimes moves in the opposite direction of the dollar, which fell against the euro after a report showed manufacturing in the Chicago region contracted for the first time in almost four years. Gold gained 23 percent last year, while the dollar lost 10 percent against the euro. ``People are expecting the dollar to weaken,'' said Nick Ruggiero, a trader at Eagle Futures Inc. in New York. ``That's supportive for gold.'' Gold futures for April delivery rose $7.80, or 1.2 percent, to $658 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Before today, gold had gained 14 percent in the past 12 months. A futures contract is an obligation to buy or sell a commodity at a set price for delivery by a specific date. The National Association of Purchasing Management-Chicago said its business barometer fell to 48.8 this month from a revised 51.6 in December. A reading lower than 50 signals contraction. ``Gold is being helped by a stronger euro,'' said Michael Guido, director of hedge-fund marketing at Societe Generale SA in New York. ``There's new speculative money coming back into the market.'' Gold will average $645 an ounce this year, compared with $604.34 last year, Heraeus Holding GmbH, owner of five precious- metals refineries, said in an e-mailed report today. Bullion Sales Gold may also gain as central banks in Europe slow bullion sales, some analysts said. The European Central Bank said one member bank sold gold last week, and one member bank purchased gold. The net reduction in the ECB's gold reserves was 36 million euros ($46.8 million). Under an accord known as the Washington Agreement, European central banks agreed to limit sales to 500 tons a year. The banks are falling behind schedule with weekly sales, said Dennis Gartman, trader, economist and editor of Suffolk, Virginia-based Gartman Letter. ``Some enormous selling lies ahead, or, more plausibly, the banks have sold what they want and are reducing their efforts,'' Gartman said. ``The latter is enormously positive for gold.'' The International Monetary Fund should sell some gold to cover losses, an advisory panel that includes former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan and European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said today. The Washington-based IMF could sell 400 metric tons of gold, valued at about $6.6 billion, and invest the proceeds in interest-bearing assets, the panel said in a report released today. Sales should be handled in a way that avoids ``disturbances'' in the gold market, a press release said. To contact the reporter on this story: Pham-Duy Nguyen in Seattle at [EMAIL PROTECTED] . *Last Updated: January 31, 2007 14:09 EST * Peru's 2007 Gold Output May Drop 13% on Ore Grades (Update1) <http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601012&sid=aeWsIoVffico&refer=commodities> By Alex Emery Jan. 31 (Bloomberg) -- Peru's gold output may drop 13 percent this year as ore grades decline at Minera Yanacocha, the country's biggest producer, said Isaac Cruz, president of the nation's mining lobby. Output at Newmont Gold Corp.'s Yanacocha, the world's second- largest gold mine, dropped last year after environmental protests kept the Denver-based company from bringing new deposits into production, Cruz said today at a press conference in Lima. The world's biggest gold mine, Grasberg in Indonesia, is owned by Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. ``Mines like Yanacocha haven't been able to explore or start up new deposits because of disputes with neighboring communities,'' said Cruz, who is also chief executive officer of zinc-mining company Sociedad Mineral El Brocal SA. ``We're going to see the effects of these problems this year.'' Copper output will rise 13 percent in 2007 on the January start-up of an $850 million expansion of Phelps Dodge Corp.'s Cerro Verde mine, and zinc output will rise 4 percent, Cruz said. Companies plan to spend $22 billion over the next five years on mining, oil, natural-gas and electricity projects, more than the amount in the past 15 years, Cruz said. Peru is the world's fifth-largest gold producer, fourth in copper and third in zinc. To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Emery in Lima at [EMAIL PROTECTED] *Last Updated: January 31, 2007 18:12 ES*
