Market pulse for key metals and energy : Mangal Keshav

Gold futures managed to score their first gain in 3-sessions, but wounds from the fierce selloff that dragged prices down by more than $200 per ounce in two days will take time to heal.

Gold holdings of SPDR gold trust, the largest ETF backed by the precious metal, declined to 1,145.92 tons, as on April 16.

Silver holdings of ishares silver trust, the largest ETF backed by the metal, declined to 10,451.01 tons, as on April 15.

The US dollar and the Japanese yen dropped on Tuesday, as investors sold the safe-haven currencies and bought gold and US stocks a day after heavy selling in the yellow metal.

The ICE dollar index, a measure of the dollar against a basket of six other major currencies,fell to 81.781 in Tuesday afternoon trade from 82.318 on late Monday.

IMF in its World Economic Outlook said, that the euro zone remains the weakest part of the global economy and warned that a long period of low growth in the currency area would weaken the potential for expansion in the neighboring economies of central and Eastern Europe, as well as further afield.

Italian debt yields fell, after a sale of retail bonds met solid demand though the move was tempered by an upward revision in the country's 2013 funding needs.

Italy raised almost 9bn Euros ($11.8bn) on the first sale day of a new bond aimed at individual investors and said it will close the offering two days ahead of schedule.

Copper & other metals traded positively, helped by a weaker dollar and as upbeat housing data from the US propped up hopes of more solid metals demand growth, prompting some buying after a sharp fall in the previous session.

Crude oil futures closed on a flat note on Tuesday, taking a break after a 3-session decline with a weekly round of US supply data on tap, but concerns about demand kept pressure on prices.

Crude oil supplies tumbled 6.66mn barrels,Distillate fuel inventories increased 1.26mn barrels & Gasoline stockpiles rose 253,000 barrels to 22.6mn barrels.

Natural gas futures closed higher, in a seesaw session with light profit-taking pressure finally overwhelmed by supportive weather forecasts that should underpin heating demand through most of April.