GOLD PRICES surged against a fast-falling US Dollar late-morning Tuesday in London, rising back above $1200 per ounce as crude oil sank, the Russian Ruble fell 20% to new all-time lows, and traders slashed their bets on any change from the Federal Reserve at its policy meeting tomorrow.
But as Brent crude oil this morning joined US contracts below $60 per barrel for the first time in 5 years – and silver held more than 4% below last week's finish – gold jumped 2.1% inside 1 hour, briefly touching Friday's 7-week closing high.
The Moscow stock market meantime dropped more than 17% for the day as the Ruble sank from 60 to 80 per Dollar.
Already hiking interest rates today from 10.5% to 17% but to no effect, the Central Bank of Russia called the situation "critical" and vowed "further action".
Norway's Krone also sank as oil fell, dropping 5% to the Dollar, while Bloomberg's GCC index of Middle Eastern and North African stock markets also fell 5%.
Outside the so-called "commodity currencies" however, the Dollar itself fell hard ahead of Wednesday's decision from the US Federal Reserve, giving back its last month of gains vs. both the Euro and Yen.
"We have a feeling the Fed will not be removing the key phrase 'a considerable period' from its communique," says a note from US brokers INTL FCStone, pointing to the US central bank's continued promise of zero interest rates.
"If correct, we should see the Dollar weaken from here...So we likely would want to stay long gold going into [Wednesday's] release, perilous as the short-term looks for the moment."
Ten-year US Treasury yields fell hard near two-month lows as bond prices rose Tuesday.
The Euro today jumped to its best level against the US currency since mid-November, adding 3 cents $1.2550 from last week's new 2-year lows.
That capped gold in Euro terms below €970 per ounce.
The Japanese Yen rose 5% from early December's fresh 7-year lows.
Yen gold prices held Tuesday below ¥4,540 per gram, some 4.3% beneath last Wednesday's 19-month high.
"Both Tokyo and Shanghai took advantage [overnight] of the decreased gold price," says one Asian trading desk, "and we saw modest bids in the market from both centers."
Premiums on Shanghai's main gold contract fell 1.7% in Yuan terms Tuesday. Converted to Dollars, however, newer contracts for high-grade kilobars in the city's international "free trade zone" rose to $3.70 per ounce above London prices, well above the average level since September's launch.
As New York's stock markets prepared to open 0.5% lower on Tuesday, gold priced in Dollars held around $1210 per ounce, some 1.6% above the overnight 1-week low.
