5
March
PRECIOUS-Gold holds near NY levels, awaits U.S. payrolls data
5 March 2010 Ninemsn
SINGAPORE, March 5 (Reuters) - Gold hardly changed on Friday and looked set to trade in a tight rage ahead U.S. payrolls data, which could determine the direction of the dollar against the euro.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was at $1,131.00 an ounce by 0037 GMT, down 45 cents from New York's notional close on Thursday, when it extended losses as investors booked profit from this week's rally to a 6-½ week high.
* Gold had gained as much as $30 an ounce this week before Thursday's decline, as uncertainty about Greece's ability to repay its crippling debt increased the metal's appeal as a hedge against currency volatility.
* U.S. gold futures for April delivery fell $1.5 an ounce to $1,131.60 an ounce.