Gold hits fresh record high on safe-haven buying

An employee takes gold ingots to be weighed in a room for final weighing and packaging at the Krastsvetmet plant in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk November 16, 2009.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Gold hit fresh record highs on Monday as economic uncertainty and the potential for inflation drew investors to the relative stability of the asset.

U.S. COMEX December gold rose $10.20 or 0.9 percent to $1,157.00 an ounce on the NYMEX by 2325 GMT (6:25 p.m. EST), in thin Asian trade with Japanese traders sidelined for a public holiday.

Spot gold was bid at $1,156.25 an ounce, above a record $1,152.75 struck last Wednesday.

The metal's price on Friday ended higher for the sixth consecutive session. India's acquisition of 200 tonnes of bullion from the IMF had also boosted interest in gold earlier this month.

(Reporting by Bruce Hextall)