Gold ended higher Tuesday as investors continued to seek safe investments while Europe's debt crisis drags on. Energy prices rose slightly and grains fell.
Gold for August delivery rose $3 to close at $1,616.90 an ounce. Silver, platinum and palladium also rose. Copper fell.
Many investors are still wary of how the European debt drama will unfold and are trading cautiously. The leaders of the Group of Seven large industrial countries held an emergency conference call Tuesday to discuss Europe's debt woes, but no concrete plans were announced.
The next focus for investors is June 17, when Greece will hold elections that could determine whether the country will leave the euro currency union. A messy exit from the currency bloc by Greece would be sure to roil financial markets.
Crude oil rose 31 cents to finish $84.29 per barrel in New York.
In other energy trading, heating oil rose 0.67 cent to end at $2.6336 per gallon, gasoline rose 1.4 cents to finish at $2.6847 per gallon and natural gas rose 3.1 cents to $2.446 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Grain prices fell again, while soybeans inched higher.
In July contracts, wheat fell 14.50 cents to $6.1325 a bushel, corn fell half a cent to $5.675 a bushel and soybeans rose 9.5 cents to $13.495 a bushel.
In metals trading, July silver rose 39.8 cents to $28.405 an ounce, July platinum rose $13.20 to $1,440.50 and September palladium rose $5.90 to $619.80 an ounce.
July copper fell 1.8 cents to $3.289 a pound.
