The value of gold in the environment is growing against the backdrop of a weak U.S. housing statistics.

Earlier, gold became cheaper in the background of statements of representatives of the U.S. Federal Reserve to restore the national economy, which slowed investors' confidence that the regulator will resort to the third round of quantitative easing policy.Thus, reduced inflation expectations, which lowered the demand for gold, which is traditionally used as a protection against inflation.

However, published on the eve of a weaker-than-expected statistics on real estate in the United States has reduced the U.S. currency. So, before it became known that the number of new homes in the U.S. in February 2012 was 698,000, which is 1.1% below the revised index for January (706,000) and 34.7% higher than in February last year (518,000) . Thus, the data were slightly worse than analysts' forecasts, the expected value of the indicator 700 000. At the same time, today's report showed that February home sales in the secondary market fell stronger than expectations of 0.9% to 4.59 million in January from a revised level of 4.63 million.

This fact has increased investor interest in gold, which led to higher prices for precious metals.

April futures price of gold on COMEX today rose to $ 1661.9 an ounce.

Oil climbed after the U.S. Energy Department said that crude inventories unexpectedly dropped 1.16 million barrels last week.

Futures rose as much as 1.4 percent as the report showed supplies fell for the first time in five weeks as imports fell. Stockpiles were forecast to gain 2.2 million barrels, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. Prices declined 2.3 percent yesterday after Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said the kingdom can boost output by 25 percent immediately.

Oil imports decreased 5.6 percent to 8.22 million barrels a day in the seven days ended March 16, the report showed. Shipments have arrived at an average rate of 8.9 million barrels a day over the past year.

Gasoline inventories declined 1.21 million barrels to 226.9 million last week, the Energy Department said today. Stockpiles were forecast to slip 2 million barrels, according to the median of 11 analyst estimates in a Bloomberg News survey.

Consumption of the motor fuel fell 0.4 percent to 8.38 million barrels a day in in the seven days ended March 16, the report showed. Demand was down 10 percent from a year earlier.

Supplies of distillate fuel, a category that includes heating oil and diesel, gained 1.76 million barrels to 136.6 million. Stockpiles were estimated to fall 1.5 million barrels.

Commercially held crude inventories in China, the second- largest oil consuming country, fell 3.8 percent in February, according to a newsletter published by the official Xinhua News agency. That’s about 28 million metric tons. Supplies were down for the fourth time in five months.

Crude for May delivery climbed to $107.53 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Oil traded at $106.36 a barrel before release of the inventory report at 10:30 a.m. Prices have risen 8.7 percent this year.

Brent oil for May settlement rose 51 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $124.63 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Change % Change Last

Oil $105.68 +0.07 +0.07%

Gold $1,648.10 +1.10 +0.07%