Gold rose slightly on Thursday after hitting a four-week low in the previous session, with the dollar losing strength ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen that will be closely watched for clues on US interest rate policy.
Spot gold was up 0.2 per cent at $1,326.22 an ounce at 0102 GMT. The metal touched a 4-week low of $1,323.20 Wednesday on a firm dollar.
US gold was nearly flat at $1,328.70 an ounce.
Yellen is scheduled to address a meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at 1400 GMT on Friday.
Recent hawkish comments from Fed policymakers have raised investors’ expectations that she might adopt a less cautious tone on rates.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major rivals, was down 0.1 per cent at 94.695.
The dollar has swayed in both directions over the past week as expectations for a near-term Fed rate hike have ebbed and flowed.
Rising US interest rates increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion and boost the dollar, in which gold is priced.
US home resales fell more than expected in July after four straight months of strong gains, as a lack of inventory limited choice for buyers, but further price rises suggested the housing market remained on solid ground.
China’s silver imports fell 36 per cent year-on-year in July, official customs data showed on Wednesday, while its platinum imports were 47 per cent lower.
Polymetal expects gold prices to stay stable in the second half of this year if macroeconomic fundamentals are steady, a senior company official said, adding Russia’s gold and silver miner also planned to return to the elite FTSE 100 index.
Mexican regulators said they are examining whether mining company Goldcorp Inc broke any regulations in its handling of a long-running leak of contaminated water at Mexico’s biggest gold mine.