PRECIOUS METALS: Platinum Falls to 1-Week Low on Strike Deal

--Nymex October platinum falls $36.30, or 2.2%, to settle at $1,636.30 a troy ounce

--Comex December gold settles up 60 cents at $1,771.20 a troy ounce

--Striking workers at Lonmin PLC mine say they plan to return to work Thursday

--Investors warily watch Spain, euro-zone developments

 
   By Matt Day and Tatyana Shumsky 
 

NEW YORK--Platinum futures fell by more than 2% on Tuesday after the announcement that striking workers at a South African mine owned by Lonmin PLC (LMI.LN) had accepted a wage increase and will return to work.

The news was seen limiting the likelihood of a prolonged labor dispute in the top platinum-producing country that could limit the world's supply of the metal. Violence involving workers at Lonmin's Marikana mine has left 45 dead since the strike began last month, leading to calls for a nationwide labor stoppage. South Africa accounts for about 80% of world platinum-mine production.

But a community leader who works with mediators at Marikana on Tuesday said the striking workers had accepted a 22% wage increase and will return to work Thursday. A spokeswoman for Lonmin said the company couldn't confirm the details of the latest offer as negotiators work to finalize a deal.

The most-actively traded platinum contract, for October delivery, fell $36.30, or 2.2%, to settle at $1,636.30 a troy ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest settlement price since Sept. 11. Futures are still up 16.9% since the strike at Marikana began Aug. 10.

Normal operations at platinum mines owned by Anglo American PLC (AAL.LN) and Sylvania Platinum Ltd. (SLP.LN) resumed Tuesday, according to the companies.

Despite the recent disruptions, many analysts expect platinum supply to outpace demand this year. Platinum is used chiefly as an exhaust filter in catalytic converters, particularly in diesel engines. Europe, teetering on the edge of recession amid a banking crisis, is the largest market for diesel automobiles.

Gold futures gained slightly Tuesday in muted trading as traders weighed whether the market's rally after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced new economic-stimulus measures was running out of steam.

The most-actively traded contract, for December delivery, rose 60 cents to settle at $1,771.20 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the Nymex.

Gold prices had surged to a six-month high after the Federal Reserve announced an aggressive and open-ended stimulus program aimed at cutting mortgage costs and stimulating economic growth.

Investors who worry the added liquidity will lift inflation tend to buy hard assets like gold to guard their wealth against such risks.

But gold's upward march appeared to stall in recent days, as some investors moved to cash in on recent gains while others moved to the sidelines.

Spain continued to resist calls to formally request euro-zone help, despite widespread expectations that the region's fourth-largest economy will eventually be forced to seek a bailout. The standoff between Spain and its euro-zone partners has put pressure on the euro and further damped investor appetite for gold.

Gold futures are traded in dollars, and the contracts become more expensive for buyers who use other currencies when the dollar strengthens.

"The calm after the storm, that's what we're dealing with here," said Bill O'Neill, broker and futures analyst with Logic Advisors. "All we're seeing here is a little consolidation given the magnitude of the rally over the past couple of months."

--Devon Maylie contributed to this article.

Write to Matt Day at [e-mail]