COMMODITIES REVIEW

Commodities were up across the board Wednesday, spurred by a lackluster economic report and signs that the government will continue to keep borrowing cheap. Silver for March delivery jumped 99.3 cents, more than 3 percent, to $32.177 per ounce. Gold for April delivery rose $18.90, more than 1 percent, to $1,681.60 per ounce. That contrasted with stocks, as all major U.S. indexes ended lower. Investors fretted about a government report showing the U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank in the fourth quarter. Though gold and silver often trade in the same direction, silver’s moves can be bigger by percentage, a pattern that held on Wednesday. It’s much cheaper to buy silver, and that makes its price more volatile. Other metals were also up. March copper climbed 5.85 cents, more than 1 percent, to $3.75 per pound. March palladium rose $1.65 to $751.40 per ounce. April platinum was up $10.40 to $1,689.30 per ounce. Prices for key crops ended higher. Wheat rose 10 cents, more than 1 percent, to $7.87 per bushel. Corn was up 10.75 cents, also more than 1 percent, to $7.4025 per bushel. Soybeans climbed 27 cents, almost 2 percent, to $14.7875 per bushel. weeks ago a report showing that big an increase in supplies likely would have sunk oil prices. But traders say conditions now favor higher gas prices. At the pump, the national average for a gallon of gas jumped 3 cents overnight to reach $3.39 for the first time since Dec. 1. Brent crude, used to price international varieties of oil, gained 54 cents to end at $114.90 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London. In other energy futures trading on Nymex: • Wholesale gasoline rose 6 cents to $3.03 per gallon. • Natural gas rose 8 cents to $3.34 per 1,000 cubic feet. • Heating oil was up about a penny at $3.12 a gallon.