* Traders focus on Friday’s U.S. non-farm payrolls
* U.S. financial markets still closed by Hurricane Sandy
* Indian gold importers buy on dips before festivals
* Rubber bullets fired at Amplats miners in South Africa
By David Brough
LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) – Gold prices were little changed
on Tuesday as E uropean s tock markets rose and the dollar
weakened, but moves were limited as New York markets remained
closed due to Hurricane Sandy, and ahead of a key U.S. jobs
report due later this week.
Gold took some support from strength in European shares,
which were boosted by well-received company reports from BP and
UBS, and the euro, after data showed the Spanish economy
contracted at a slightly slower rate than forecast in September.
Spot gold rose by just 0.6 cents to $1,7 09 . 86 an
ounce a t 3 :23 p.m. EST (1900 G MT) . U .S. gold futures for
December rose $3. 40 to $1,712. 1 0 .
But the metal remains on course for its first monthly loss
since May as a boost from the Federal Reserve’s latest monetary
stimulus plan – a potentially inflationary move which would also
maintain pressure on interest rates – petered out.
Continued…
