Special Report: Global Financial Crisis    

    CHICAGO, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX Division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell slightly Thursday after touching new 7-month high, due to investors' selling off to book profits.

    Gold price for April delivery went down 1.70 U.S. dollars, or 0. 2 percent, to settle at 976.50 dollars an ounce. It hit the third consecutive new 7-month high at 987.90 dollars per ounce earlier in the session.

    March silver closed at 13.935 dollars per ounce, down 35.5 cents. April platinum dropped 22.40 cents to 1076.50 dollars per ounce.

    Investors were taking profits from the high and ahead of the key level of 1,000 dollars per ounce, analysts said. In the past 7trading days, April gold has gained about 100 dollars, or 11 percent, creating enough profit to book.

    Sentiment on world economic recession still appears to be strong and robust physical demand for gold provided strong buying support, helping to limit gold's losses.

    A sharp rally in oil prices and sustained weakness in U.S. dollar may have also provided a certain degree of cushion for the precious metal's declining.