US gold ends lower; weak physical demand in focus

NEW YORK, Sept 18 (Reuters) - U.S. gold futures ended lower
on Friday as a dollar bounce triggered profit-taking, and the
bullion market could retreat further due to a lack of demand
for bullion outside of the investment sector.

For the latest detailed report, click on [GOL/].

GOLD

* December gold GCZ9 settled down $3.20 at $1,010.30 an
ounce on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile
Exchange.

* Ranging from $1,008 to $1,019.50. On Thursday, December
hit a high of $1,025.80 an ounce, which marked the highest
price since July 2008.

* Gold pressured as waning risk appetite cut demand for
high-yielding currencies, sending the dollar up sharply against
a basket of major currencies.

* Gold jewelry market "close to dead" compared to a year
earlier, and there is no real physical buying outside of
investment demand - Miguel Perez-Santalla, vice president of
sales at Heraeus Precious Metals Management.

* Jewelry buying typically accounts for around 60 percent
of global gold demand.

* Gold's weakness was impressive in light of huge long
positions built up by "specs" and bearish news for the gold
market - Dennis Gartman, independent investor and publisher of
the Gartman Letter.

* Gartman says he is bullish gold as all currencies are
waning while gold seems to be rising.

* Many traders are holding ahead of the Fed's rate-setting
decision next Wednesday, as any change in rates, however small,
will definitely have an effect on the precious metals market -
Perez-Santalla.

* Technicians keeping watch on the $1,033.90 per ounce
prior record high on COMEX gold's second-month continuation
chart - analysts.

* Gold-to-oil ratio at 14.01, up a hair from the previous
session's 14.0.

* Spot gold XAU= at $1,009 an ounce at 2:38 p.m. EDT
(1838 GMT), down from $1,011.45 an ounce, the previous
session's late New York quote.

* London afternoon gold fix XAUFIX= was at $1,012 an
ounce.

SILVER

* December silver SIZ9 ended down 20 cents, or 1.2
percent, at $17.065 an ounce, down with gold.

* Range from $17.01 to $17.40 an ounce.

* Spot silver XAG= was at $17, versus its previous finish
of 17.18 an ounce..

* London silver fix XAGFIX= at $17.11 an ounce.

PLATINUM

* October platinum PLV9 finished down $3.30 at $1,338.20
an ounce on the back of broad-based metals weakness.

* Spot platinum XPT= was at $1,327.50 an ounce, compared
with its previous finish of $1,335.50.

PALLADIUM

* December palladium PAZ9 closed down $1.25 at $304.50 an
ounce.

* Spot palladium XPD= was at $299.50 an ounce, against
its previous close of $301.50.

Close Change Pct 2008 YTD

Chg Close % Chg
US gold GCZ9 1010.30 -3.2 -0.3 884.3 14.2
US silver SIZ9 17.065 -0.200 -1.2 11.295 51.1
US platinum PLV9 1338.20 -3.30 -0.2 941.50 42.1
US palladium PAZ9 304.50 -1.25 -0.4 188.70 61.4
Prices at 2:39 p.m. EDT (1839 GMT)
Gold XAU= 1009.00 -2.45 -0.2 878.20 14.9
Silver XAG= 17.00 -0.18 -1.0 11.30 50.4
Platinum XPT= 1327.50 -8.00 -0.6 924.50 43.6
Palladium XPD= 299.00 -2.500 -0.8 184.50 62.1
Gold Fix XAUFIX= 1012.00 -2.00 -0.2 836.50 21.0
Silver Fix XAGFIX= 17.11 -27.00 -1.6 14.76 15.9
Platinum Fix XPTFIX= 1337.00 11.00 0.8 1529 -12.6
Palladium FixXPDFIX= 304.00 4.00 1.3 365.0 -16.7
(Reporting by Frank Tang; editing by Jim Marshall)