Silver, Platinum End Higher; Oil Climbs Near $100

Silver and platinum futures ended higher Thursday, while the price of crude oil edged closer to $100 a barrel.

The actively traded March contract for silver rose 43.2 cents, or 2.2 percent, to $19.916 an ounce. Platinum for April delivery rose $27.20, or 2 percent, to $1,363.80 an ounce.

February gold rose $9, or 0.7 percent, to $1,212.30 an ounce.

In other metals trading, March copper rose 2.45 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $3.3985 a pound, and March palladium rose $5.30, or 0.8 percent, to $700.75 an ounce.

Crop prices fell. Corn for March delivery fell 8.25 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $4.2625 a bushel, March soybeans fell 17.5 cents, or 1.3 percent, to $13.0525 a bushel, and March wheat edged down a quarter of a penny to $6.06 a bushel.