* High open interest on strike levels $45 and $50 on COMEX
silver
* Investors eye Fed meeting Tue-Wed for policy cues
* Coming up: U.S. consumer confidence, April; 1400 GMT
(Adds comments, detail; updates prices)
By Rujun Shen
SINGAPORE, April 26 (Reuters) - Silver prices fell nearly
five percent on Tuesday, snapping a rally in previous sessions
that had carried them close to a record high, as option traders
sold back metal to cover risks ahead of options expiry later in
the day.
Spot silver prices had exploded in Monday's session, soaring
to within 17 cents of the 1980 record high as options sellers
bought silver when key strike levels at $45 and $50 came under
threat of exercise.
"People are watching out for options expiry," said Yingxi
Yu, an analyst at Barclays.
"There are decent-sized open interests at the strike levels
of $40, $45 and $50. When there are large positions, it tends to
suggest that prices may sway to those levels on options expiry."
U.S. silver futures <SIcv1> tumbled nearly 5 percent to
$44.86 an ounce by 0418 GMT, after having rallied to $49.82 in
the previous session, a hair off their record high of $50.35.
Spot silver dipped 4.4 percent to $44.84.
"The market will remain very nervous, and we'll see how it
goes after option expiry," said a trader in Singapore.
Spot gold fell by 0.7 percent to $1,497.25 an ounce,
after a seven-day record-setting rally that pushed prices to
$1,518.10 on Monday.
U.S. gold <GCcv1> also lost 0.7 percent to $1,497.90.
There is high open interest at key strike levels of $1,500
and $1,520 on COMEX gold, which will keep prices stable until at
least later in the day, traders also said.
Investors are eyeing the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy
setting meeting, due to kick off later in the day.
[]
Fed chief Ben Bernanke is scheduled to give a news briefing
on Wednesday -- the first regularly scheduled by a Fed chief in
its 97-year history -- that is expected to shed light on the
central bank's policy stance.
"The market will be watching out for any signs of what the
Fed is going to do at the end of the second round of
quantitative easing," said Yu of Barclays.
"If Bernanke remains dovish, as he has been, it will provide
indication that monetary policy will not be tightened
significantly in the second half, which is pretty favourable for
precious metals."
The dollar edged up on Tuesday, but is still seen
wobbly, even after the euro slipped on remarks from the European
Central Bank Governor Jean-Claude Trichet that a strong dollar
is in the interest of the United States.
Platinum group metals fell in tandem with gold and silver.
Spot platinum fell off a seven-week high of $1,836.74,
down 1 percent to $1,801.99.
Spot palladium declined 1.2 percent to $749.
Precious metals prices 0418 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Volume
Spot Gold 1497.25 -11.20 -0.74 5.48
Spot Silver 44.84 -2.06 -4.39 45.30
Spot Platinum 1801.99 -17.31 -0.95 1.95
Spot Palladium 749.00 -8.80 -1.16 -6.32
COMEX GOLD JUN1 1497.90 -11.20 -0.74 5.38 17564
COMEX SILVER MAY1 44.86 -2.29 -4.85 44.99 33349
Euro/Dollar 1.4530
Dollar/Yen 81.64
COMEX gold and silver contracts show the most active months
(Additional reporting by Nick Trevethan in SINGAPORE; Editing
by Clarence Fernandez)
