Price gains for gold, silver on short covering, value buying

Gold and silver prices are moderately higher in early U.S. trading Monday, on some short covering by the shorter-term futures traders and some perceived value buying buy traders in the cash market. April gold futures were last up $8.90 at $1,728.80 and May Comex silver was last up $0.254 at $26.165 an ounce.

Copper price rises on demand hopes

Copper futures advanced in London and New York on Wednesday on hopes of rising demand, but prices in Shanghai fell on fears of policy tightening by top consumer China.