Gold futures surge on crude rally, weak dollar

Gold prices pushed higher for a fourth straight session Tuesday as another record-breaking crude rally and a weak dollar boosted buying of hard assets as a hedge against inflation.

Crude's rise touched off a broad commodities rally, with silver, copper heating oil and corn futures all trading higher.

In the past week, gold has gained 6 percent and has surged back above $900 an ounce as crude prices push deeper into record territory. Higher crude prices lead to higher costs for food, gasoline and other products, bolstering investor demand for inflation-hedging investments like gold.

"Gold is riding on the back of crude," said Carlos Sanchez, analyst with CPM Group in New York. "The break above $900 was psychologically important because many investors had been waiting for that."

Gold for June delivery jumped $14.40 to settle at $920.20 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after earlier rising to $924.10, its highest since April 23.

A fresh drop in the dollar versus the euro Tuesday also pushed gold prices higher. A weak greenback encourages investors to shift resources into gold and silver, which are known for holding their value. A weaker dollar as makes commodities like gold cheaper to overseas buyers.

Record oil prices and a falling dollar pushed gold to an all-time high above $1,000 an ounce in March, but the metal has lost some of its appeal lately as the greenback has stabilized and physical demand for gold has weakened.

Gold prices could make another run for $1,000 in the near future, analysts say, although a drop in crude prices would likely take the momentum out of the metal's rally.

"Longer term gold prices will probably head higher, (but) if crude retreats, then you're probably going to see gold retreat," Sanchez said.

Other precious metals also rose Tuesday. July silver added 69.7 cents to settle at $17.725 an ounce on the Nymex, while July copper inched 0.1 cent higher to settle at $3.7765 a pound.

In energy futures, crude oil burst above $129 for the first time Tuesday as supply concerns heading into the busy U.S. driving season continued to push prices higher.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery jumped to an all-time high of $129.60 on the Nymex before easing back to settle at a record $129.07, up $2.02. The imminent expiration of that contract, which ended with the close of Tuesday's trading, created additional volatility in the market.

Other energy futures also traded higher. June heating oil futures added almost a dime to settle at $3.775 a gallon, after earlier rising to a record $3.792. June gasoline futures rose 6.78 cents to settle at $3.3044 a gallon after hitting its own trading record of $3.3085.

In agriculture markets, corn gained as wet weather in Midwestern states threatened to hurt crops, adding to supply concerns that have driven up the costs for meat, cereal and other foods.

Corn for July delivery rose 3 cents to settle at $5.945 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, after earlier rising as high as $6.035 a bushel.

Other agriculture futures traded lower. Wheat for July delivery fell 7 cents to settle at $7.84 a bushel, while July soybeans lost 1.5 cents to settle at $13.315 a bushel.