Investors wondering whether the agricultural commodities bubble has burst will get some important clues in next week's annual crop plantings report, considered a bellwether for the direction of farming activity for the year.

The specter of a global downturn is keeping commodity prices in flux but how to trade on the volatility depends on the direction of the US dollar.

Investors wondering whether the agricultural commodities bubble has burst will get some important clues in next week's annual crop plantings report, considered a bellwether for the direction of farming activity for the year.

Volatility is set to continue in major European stock markets when trading resumes on Tuesday after the Easter holiday, analysts told CNBC.com.

European stocks closed in the red Thursday, with investors eager to close positions ahead of the long Easter weekend and after a profit warning from Credit Suisse.

Gold miner Lihir Gold made a $1 billion friendly takeover offer for smaller West African gold miner Equigold, looking to expand outside its base in Papua New Guinea. 

Most commodities tumbled Monday as investors sold assets ranging from oil to coffee to grains to cover deepening losses in stocks and bonds. But gold ended slightly higher, as safe-haven buying kept it above the key $1,000 level

Gold pared most of its gains Monday, as investors took profits from a rally to record highs above $1,030 and a sharp drop in oil prices lowered the metal's appeal as an inflation-hedge.

Spot gold steadied on Friday and held within sight of the $1,000-an-ounce barrier broken on the futures market after the dollar hit a record low against the euro, boosting the metal's appeal as an alternative investment.

Gold briefly pushed past the psychologically important $1,000 mark Thursday, as investors poured money into the metal to hedge against a tumbling dollar, soaring crude prices and a shaky U.S. economy.

European markets closed lower every day except for Wednesday, with the financial stocks taking an especially hard battering on continued concerns over the state of the U.S. economy.

Gold held near a record high on Thursday, within sight of the next target of $1,000 an ounce as speculative buying persisted after the dollar tumbled to an all-time low against the euro and oil approached $105 a barrel.

Platinum struck a record for the second straight day on Tuesday, catching up with gold as a
weaker U.S. dollar and persistent supply problems in South Africa ignited buying from speculators and investors.

Gold edged closer to $1,000 on Monday, setting a record high for the fourth straight day as the dollar tumbled and as crude oil held near an all-time high.

Gold powered to a new high around $973 an ounce on Friday after crude oil set an all-time high of above $103 a barrel, igniting another round of buying from investors and speculators.