Bengaluru — Gold on Friday slipped from the one-month high touched in the previous session, with traders waiting for US jobs data later in the day for clues on the pace of possible US interest rate hikes this year. Spot gold eased 0.2% to $1,178.41 per ounce by 2.55am GMT. The metal on Thursday hit its highest since December 5 at $1,184.90. US gold futures were also down 0.2%, at $1,179 per ounce. "We can see a bit of profit-taking ahead of the nonfarm payroll data," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong. A firm dollar will put pressure on gold prices ahead of US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, he said. US services sector activity held at a one-year high in December as new orders surged, while the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell near a 43-year-low last week, suggesting the economy ended 2016 with strong momentum. Investors are focused on Friday’s US nonfarm payrolls report, with economists expecting job gains o...
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