Good morning, Resource Investors.

Asian interest has propped up gold this past week. A World Gold Council report that Chinese buying is expected to continue rising boosted long-term expectations, while India jeweler demand at the beginning of that country's wedding season has helped short-term prices. With a firming dollar weighing on gold, however, most analysts expect the precious metal to trade steady to lower over the next few weeks.

Copper benefited from Asian buying interest, as well, cresting 19-month highs this week. The base metal hit an intraday high of $3.57 a pound, which it hasn't seen since mid-2008. Also in the base metals market, the European steel industry is claiming that anti-competitive practices in the iron ore markets are causing excessive prices.

In the energy markets, crude oil has seen a tough battle between the bulls and bears over the past week, with both camps staying sensitive to dollar fluctuations. Better-than-expected home sales data helped prop up prices, while large inventories ultimately led to weaker prices. This week, prices appear poised for a surge in either direction, with the inventory report potentially providing the catalyst.

For more on the reasons behind these moves, see these headlines, where you can catch up on what happened in the resource markets this past week -- and prepare for the next.

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