The price of gold slipped back from three-month highs on Friday as a mixed U.S. jobs report prompted investors to reassess the outlook for U.S. interest rates this year and pushed the dollar higher.
U.S. non-farm payrolls rose by 151,000 in January, well below a Reuters poll forecast for a rise of 190,000 and down sharply from December, but hourly wages surged and the unemployment rate fell to an eight-year low, suggesting the labour market recovery remains on track.
Spot gold advanced 0.2% at $1,158.03 U.S. an ounce, after touching $1,158.80 U.S., a peak it hasn't seen since Oct. 29.
The price has progressed nearly 3% this week as investors started to doubt that the U.S. will raise rates this year after Federal Reserve official William Dudley said there was a need to consider the weakening global outlook in framing U.S. monetary policy.
Moreover, U.S. gold for April delivery was up 0.1% at $1,158.50 U.S. an ounce.
Spot silver was down 0.7% at $14.78 U.S. an ounce, still near Thursday's three-month high of $14.91 U.S. and has gained 4% this week.
Platinum was down 0.7% at $901.50 U.S. an ounce, not far below a three-month peak, while palladium declined 2.9% to $496.83 U.S.
