Commodities Mostly Higher

Commodities prices were generally stronger early Tuesday, with energy, metals and agricultural contracts all posting gains.

Oil futures were up 8 cents to $56.67 a barrel at the New York Mercantile Exchange, and natural gas was gaining 10 cents to $6.94 per million British thermal units.

Reformulated gasoline was higher by 2 cents to $1.97 a gallon, and heating oil was tacking on 1 cent to $1.70 a gallon.

Gold rose $6.20 to $660.50 an ounce, and silver was better by 18 cents at $13.41 an ounce. Copper advanced 3 cents to $3.05 a pound, and platinum added $1.30 to $1,236 an ounce.

At the New York Board of Trade, cocoa, coffee, cotton and sugar were all higher. Frozen concentrated orange juice futures sat out the rally and declined modestly.

The CRB Index was recently ahead by 0.4% at 305.81.