LONDON METAL EXCHANGEIndustrial metals rose as investors bought...

LONDON METAL EXCHANGE
Industrial metals rose as investors bought ahead of the traditionally strong second quarter, and the US dollar headed for its worst quarterly performance since 2004, analysts and traders said.
Copper for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange closed up $US325 at $US8,505 per tonne after hitting an intraday high of $US8,550, the most in almost two weeks.
Nickel closed $US1,600 higher at $US31,400 per tonne after earlier rising more than six per cent to $US31,650, its highest in 10 days.
Aluminium closed at $US3,028 up $US84 from yesterday.
Zinc rose $US80 to $US2,410 a tonne, lead was up $US80 to $US2,880 and tin increased $US275 to $US20,600.


COMEX
New York gold futures finished a hair lower on Thursday as the dollar rose on the back of positive US economic data, but the metal should resume its upward trend due to bullish fundamentals.
The active US gold contract for April delivery on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange settled down 40 cents to $US948.80 an ounce, after trading between $US940 and an overnight peak of $US955.20 -- the highest level since March 19.
Spot gold traded at $US951.80/952.60, compared with $US949.00/949.80 at the close Wednesday. The London afternoon gold fix was $US946.75 an ounce.
COMEX May silver gained 16.7 cents to end at $US18.550 an ounce.
Spot silver was at $US18.50/18.55, up from $US18.35/18.40 at Wednesday's close. Silver was fixed in London at $US18.200 an ounce.
The NYMEX platinum contract for April delivery finished up $US31.10, or 1.6 percent, at $US2,043.70 an ounce. Spot platinum fetched $US2,023/2,033.