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Precious metals were higher today, with December gold settling $6.50 higher at $887.30 an ounce. Flight-to-safety buyers were active today as the market anticipates a U.S. Senate vote on the financial bailout plan which is slated for Wednesday night.

Copper fell to the lowest level since March 2007, with the December contract settling 12.5 cents, or 4.3-percent, lower at $2.7540 a pound. Speculation that the slumping U.S. housing market weakness will continue thus reducing demand for copper was noted for the decline.

December silver settled 49.5 cents higher at $12.77 an ounce, January platinum rose $14.60 to close at $1,043.10 an ounce, and December palladium gained $8.25 to $210.95 an ounce.

Softs

Coffee fell to a fresh yearly low, with the December contract settling 135 points lower at $1.2910 a pound. The slowing economy, combined with the rise in the value of the U.S. dollar was noted for much of todays decline.

Cotton had its largest rally in over a week, with the March contract settling 1.02 cents higher at 62.77 cents a pound. Stronger than expected U.S. export sales and speculation that cotton is oversold was noted for the rally.

November orange juice settled 240 points lower at 86.80 cents a

pound, March sugar settled 27 points higher at 13.93 cents a pound, and December cocoa settled $47 lower at $2,511 a metric ton.

Meats

Cattle futures closed lower today with October feeder cattle finishing 45 points lower at 103.55 cents a pound. Falling cash prices and speculation that demand will fall was noted for the decline for cattle today. October live cattle settled 32 points lower at 98.57 cents a pound.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's midday beef wire for Wednesday showed choice cuts fell $0.28 per hundredweight, while select items were $0.31 per hundredweight lower.