Gold prices gain as platinum declines

Most precious metals prices rose Thursday while most base metals prices fell on the session.

August gold was up $10.50 to $904 per troy ounce in New York, while July silver added 13 cents to $17.47 per troy ounce but July platinum dropped $36.10 to $2,055.80 per troy ounce.

September copper was up 3 cents to $3.78 per pound in New York while three-month copper added $71 to $8,310 per tonne in London even though an agreement to end protests that were blocking access to some mines and smelters was reached in Peru.

Otherwise, base metals prices were lower, including a decline of $65 to $1,925 per tonne for zinc after London Metal Exchange inventories rose by 8,350 tonnes during the session to 152,175 tonnes.

Aluminium was $20 lower to $3,072 per tonne while lead fell $38 to $1,822 per tonne, tin was $75 lower to $22,375 per tonne and nickel dropped $650 to $22,350 per tonne.