Gold prices plumb 3-wk. low

Gold futures closed below $1,300 U.S. an ounce on Friday, their lowest settlement since mid-October, as better-than-expected growth in U.S. jobs last month raised the likelihood that the U.S. Federal Reserve will soon taper its stimulus program.

December gold dropped $23.90, or 1.8%, to settle at $1,284.60 U.S. an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Prices, which closed at their lowest since Oct. 16, lost 2.2% for the week

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