Gold and silver prices bounced back from early dollar-triggered weakness Friday, as equities recovered and the euro stabilized late in the day.


Gold _ regarded as an alternative investment to the dollar _ had opened sharply weaker after the U.S. currency climbed to its most robust levels in nearly two months. While choppy, the metals remained within the trading bands they've been in for 1 1/2 weeks now.

August gold settled up $2.60 to $588 a troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. July silver added 7.5 cents to $10.285 an ounce, while September gained 7.5 cents to $10.382 an ounce.

The metals gradually recovered during the course of the day. This was due to a move up in the Dow industrials, said Bernard Hunter, director of precious metals with Scotia Mocatta, and also the euro's rise back above the psychologically important $1.25 mark later in the day.

July platinum lost $9.20 to $1,166.90 an ounce, while October lost $9.70 to $1,179.40. September palladium slipped $4.10 to $309.80 an ounce.

The benchmark September copper contract settled 10.25 cents higher at $3.1510 per pound.

August crude oil futures ended 3 cents higher at $70.87 a barrel after rising as high as $71.30 a barrel.

July gasoline futures rose 0.95 cent to $2.1275 a gallon. July heating oil finished at $1.9626 a gallon, down 0.92 cent.

July natural gas fell 21.3 cents to settle at $6.226 a million British thermal units.