CALL in 007. Goldfinger is on the loose again. Speculation is rampant in the international gold market that the recent rise in prices has been due to a Nick Leeson mark 2, based in Brazil. Specifically the gossip is that a trader in a South American central bank has found himself short of gold and has been buying furiously to cover his exposures.

No doubt they are checking the locks and the security alarms in Fort Knox, in case the mystery trader decides a more direct approach is needed in order to rebuild his reserves.