After soaring 29.7% in 2010, the gold price opened the New Year virtually unchanged at $1,422 per ounce. Strength in the U.S. dollar held gold in check, although silver posted yet another 30-year high of $31.20 per ounce. Copper continued its relentless rise, gaining 1% to $4.49 per pound – an all-time high.
Stock prices built on their strong December performance as S&P 500 stock futures rose 6.80 to 1264.30.
