* Euro zone debt back in focus, eyes on G20
* Traders target $1,475 ounce
* Palladium up for fifth day
(Updates with comment, refreshes prices)
By Amanda Cooper
LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Gold hit record highs for a fourth
day in a row on Tuesday, as fresh concern over the debt burdens
of several euro zone member countries prompted safe-haven
buying, while palladium rallied for a fifth day.
Silver <XAG=> touched $28.90 an ounce, the highest since
March 1980, palladium <XPD=> saw $732.50 an ounce, its highest
since April 2001. Platinum <XPT=> hit $1,795.50, its highest
since July 2008.
Spot gold <XAU=> hit $1,422.30 a troy ounce and was bid at
$1,419.50 an ounce at 1540 GMT from $1,409.09 late in New York
on Monday. U.S. gold futures <GCZ0> also hit a record $1,422.10
an ounce.
"European investors are worried about the euro, real rates
are very low and set to stay low for a long time, so the
opportunity cost of investing in gold is tiny," said Citi
analyst David Thurtell. "Lots of good reasons to buy it and not
many to sell it," he added.
The premium investors demand to hold Irish and Portuguese
government debt shot to record highs, driven by concern about
funding and potential default, which in turn pushed the euro
down against the yen <EURJPY=> and tempered its gains versus the
U.S. dollar. [] []
"It just seems that ... with worries about peripheral
European countries like Ireland, there's a little bit of a
safe-haven factor there," Thurtell said.
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Graphic on S&P 500 priced in gold:
http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/F/11/GLD_SPX1110.gif
Greek, Irish bond yield spread http://r.reuters.com/tuk54q
G20 battle lines: http://r.reuters.com/jux34q
Basel III; rule reshaping: http://r.reuters.com/zys68p
Gold price performance: http://link.reuters.com/juz44q
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
Gold priced in euros <XAUEUR=R> has rallied by over 7
percent in the last five trading days, rising to its highest
since late June this year.
INFLATION FEARS
"We have a combination: inflation fears, currency market
uncertainty, fears about the financial strength of some
countries," said Alexander Zumpfe of Heraeus Metals.
Zumpfe said remarks by World Bank President Robert Zoellick
that leading economies should consider readopting a modified
gold standard, had also helped reignite interest in the precious
metal. []
Worries about price pressures were reinforced last week by
the U.S. Federal Reserve, which announced further monetary
policy easing to help boost economic growth in the world's
largest economy, the United States.
News that the Fed would buy back $600 billion of U.S.
government bonds initially weakened the dollar and propelled
commodity prices higher, particularly gold, which has gained
nearly 30 percent this year so far.
Investor demand, which had slackened recently, picked up, as
reflected by the first inflow into the SPDR Gold Trust <GLD>,
the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, since Oct.
13. []
Also on the radar is this week's G20 summit. Officials from
Germany, Brazil, China and South Africa are among those
expressing concern that the Fed's policy could weaken the dollar
and drive up commodity prices. []
If the G20 fails to defuse global tensions, it may heighten
investor concerns that policymakers are drifting further apart,
leaving the world economy vulnerable.
"There is a lot of uncertainty ahead of the G20 meeting. If
there are no surprises we may see a correction afterwards," said
David Wilson, analyst at Societe Generale.
"Gold is using any excuse to go higher."
Traders think the target to this rally is $1,475 an ounce.
"Beyond that $1,500 is only a short ride," one trader said,
adding high seasonal physical demand was another factor behind
the rise in precious metal prices.
Palladium rose by almost 3 percent on the day to $726.22 an
ounce, marking its fifth consecutive daily rally and putting it
on track for a ninth weekly increase.
Palladium has risen by almost 80 percent so far this year,
fuelled by demand from investors who are keen to tap into the
metal's exposure to China, where it is used in the country's
booming, gasoline-powered auto sector in autocatalysts.
Spot silver was bid at $28.77 an ounce from $27.69 late in
New York on Monday and palladium was at $725.50 from $705.22.
Platinum was bid at $1,789.00 an ounce compared with
$1,771.50 late in New York on Monday.
(Additional reporting by Pratima Desai; Editing by Anthony
Barker)
