February gold futures are expected to open floor trading in New York around $13 an ounce higher Monday, based on electronic activity ahead of the pit session at the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. March silver is expected to be up 36 cents an ounce. The metals rose overnight with the help of a sharp uptick in the euro against the dollar and in crude oil, London-based analysts said. Israel's attack on Gaza also was cited as a factor. At 8 a.m. EST, spot gold was trading up $15.90 to $884.70. In other markets that have the potential to impact metals in the short term, the euro is up to $1.4289 from $1.4027 late Friday afternoon. In screen trading ahead of the pit open, the March S&P 500 futures are up 1.50 points to 870.70. February crude oil is up $2.43 to $40.14 a barrel in overnight activity. U.S. economic data on the calendar for Monday morning include the Dallas Fed's manufacturing outlook survey at 10:30 a.m. EST (1530 GMT) and the Chicago Fed's Midwest manufacturing index at noon EST (1700 GMT). Other reports this week include the Chicago Purchasing Managers Index and Conference Board's consumer-confidence index Tuesday, initial jobless claims on Wednesday and Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing survey on Friday. In New York Friday, copper futures rose with the help of GMAC's efforts to become a bank-holding company and a weaker tone in the U.S. dollar, analysts said. March copper rose 2.95 cents to settle at $1.3035 per pound. In New York Friday, gold futures shot higher late in the session, which analysts linked to chart-based buying in thin trading conditions on a day sandwiched between Christmas and a weekend. February gold rose $23.20 to $871.20 an ounce. March silver lagged but also rose, adding 18 cents to $10.53. Comex gold warehouse stocks were steady at 8,540,002 ounces Friday, while silver stocks were up 3,456 ounces at 126,714,926 ounces. -By Allen Sykora, Dow Jones Newswires; 541-318-8765; allen.sykora@dowjones.com (END) Dow Jones Newswires

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