Comex gold futures are trading sharply higher and near the daily high in late-morning dealings Thursday. Traders and investors are stepping in to "buy the dip" in gold prices by doing some short covering and bargain hunting. The gold market was also oversold, technically, and due for an upside corrective bounce, which it is seeing Thursday. If Thursday's strong price gains can be held into the close, and then some decent follow-through buying interest can occur Friday, then technical odds would be high that the gold futures market has put in a near-term bottom and that prices could then at least trade sideways in the coming weeks. June gold last traded up $35.00 an ounce at $1,571.00.