* Traders focus on Friday’s U.S. non-farm payrolls
* Chinese PMI data seen benefiting commodities
* Amplats says losing 3.7k oz platinum a day to strike
By David Brough and Jan Harvey
LONDON, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Gold prices eased a touch on
Thursday as the dollar firmed, but moves were muted as investors
remained focused on U.S. employment data due on Friday for clues
on monetary policy.
A jump in U.S. stocks after well-received economic data lent
some support to gold, while European shares were also bolstered
by a well received earnings report from Royal Dutch Shell
.
Spot gold was down 0.2 percent at $1,716.45 at 1643
GMT, while U.S. gold futures for December were down
$2.29 an ounce at $1,716.20.
Gold prices rallied to nearly $1,800 an ounce in early
October after the Federal Reserve announced new monetary
stimulus measures, which tend to help gold by fuelling fears of
inflation and maintaining pressure on interest rates.
It has also benefited from fears that the United States
could be facing a ‘fiscal cliff’ if lawmakers fail to avert
looming tax hikes and cuts to public spending, which are due to
kick in at the start of next year.
Continued…
