copper

Light, sweet crude oil for April delivery finished up 2.4% to $106.72 a barrel. In other energy futures, heating oil was up 1.7% to $3.09 a gallon while natural gas was up 0.99% to $4.39 per million British thermal units.

Meanwhile, gold futures ended at a record high helped in part by a weaker dollar.

Gold for June delivery finished up $15 to $1,439.90 an ounce.

Commodities rallied to finish higher Thursday as both crude oil and gold futures surged as the first quarter came to a close.

Light, sweet crude oil for April delivery finished up 3.5%, or $3.44 to $101.42 a barrel. In other energy futures, heating oil was up 1.31% to $3.05 a gallon while natural gas was down 0.15% to $3.93 per million British thermal un

Meanwhile, gold futures rose, helped by a weaker dollar

Gold for April delivery finished up $8.10 to $1,404.20 an ounce.

Commodities ended trading mostly higher as crude oil and gold futures finished in positive territory on news that work to control the damaged nuclear power plant in Japan made progress.

The company will pay C$8.10 per share for Lundin, a 26% premium over Lundin's February 25 closing price of C$6.45 per share.

The purchase would give Equinox four mines in Europe and a stake in a copper and cobalt operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Equinox Minerals Ltd. offered C$4.8 billion in cash and shares for Lundin Mining Corp., according to a Bloomberg report, which challenges a planned stock takeover by Inmet Mining Corp.

Copper for March delivery rose $0.09 to $4.63 per pound on the NYSE.

Cliffs Natural Resources has a potential upside of 13.8% based on a current price of $92.48 and an average consensus analyst price target of $105.25."

"Cliff Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF) shares are trading 5.79% higher at $92.58 following record copper prices and on heavy demand from China.

The anti-mining resolution was adopted two weeks ago by municipal authorities in Odiongan but posted only this weekend on the website of the Philippine Information Agency, the official communications arm of the Philippine governme

Ivanhoe Mines (IVN,IVN.TO) is up nearly 5%, despite signs of increasing local opposition to block work on the company's proposed new gold, copper and silver mine in Romblom province in the Philippines.

In economic news Thursday, weekly jobless claims will be out at 8:30 AM, then another housing market report to tune in to - existing home sales at 10 AM. Also at 10 AM - 10 leading economic indicators from The Conference Board.

Here's what to look for on Thursday, January 20th. In Pre-market earnings, you can expect to see Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold, United Health, Fifth Third Bancorp, Morgan Stanley, Advanced Micro Devices, AMR Corp, and Union Pac

Gold Resource Corp (GORO) is off more than 5% this morning, giving back all of yesterday's gains -- and then some -- following CEO William Reid's appearance Thursday on CNBC. Today's decline also is likely due to the 2% fall in go

The Energy Department will release its Weekly Petroleum Status Report at 11 a.m. today, a day later than usual because of the Christmas holiday. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg, on average, think oil inventories fell 2.85 million b

Oil is trending lower right now at $90.66 a barrel, down $0.46, but is still trading above $90 a barrel for a sixth day. Futures dropped $0.37 to $91.15 yesterday after the American Petroleum Institute said supplies rose 3.06 mill