Spot Gold Softens on Greece Worries

New York spot gold prices have softened amid a sturdier U.S. dollar and feebler Euro currency Friday as uncertainty over debt-laden Greece's ability to attain financial aid from the European Union permeates the market"People are pretty concerned about the confusion in the EU in regards to financial assistance to Greece," Barclays(BCS) currency strategist Adarsh Sinha tells Bloomberg. "It's a political nightmare, and that's contributed to the risk premium on the euro." Spot gold prices are flat at $1,125.40 an ounce. New York spot silver prices have fallen by 3 cents, or 0.2% to $17.36 an ounce in the intraday. New York spot platinum prices have fallen by $11.00, or 0.7%, to $1,617.00 an ounce, while its sister metal is little changed. New York spot palladium prices are flat Friday morning at $476.00 an ounceMining stocks, which offer another form of exposure to precious metals, are trading in mixed territory. Barrick Gold(ABX) has fallen 0.5% to $39.60, while Kinross Gold(KGC) has risen 0.3% to $18.10. Stillwater Mining(SWC) is down 1.3% at $13.50, and Silvercorp Metals(SVM) has fallen 1.2% to $6.70. http://bit.ly/ckI5oC