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BENGALURU – Gold prices held steady early yesterday as the dollar firmed, with the precious metal trading below an intra-day nine-month high hit on Friday when political and security concerns jangled investors’ nerves and stoked demand. Spot gold was nearly unchanged at $1,283.30 an ounce by 0111 GMT, after surging to its highest in over nine months on Friday at $1300.80. U.S. gold futures for December delivery slipped 0.2 percent to $1,289.40 per ounce.

The dollar edged up in early Asian trading yesterday, moving tentatively away from the previous session’s four-month low against the yen when concerns that personnel changes at the White House weighed on expectations for U.S. President Donald Trump’s ability to pass tax reform and stimulus steps.

The New York Federal Reserve on Friday raised its estimate of U.S gross domestic product growth for the third quarter above 2 percent based on this week’s data on retail sales, industrial output and regional manufacturing. The stock market’s steady rise, still low long-term bond yields and a generally sagging dollar are girding the Fed’s intent to raise interest rates again this year despite concerns about weak inflation, according to comments this week from Fed officials and analysts anticipating remarks next week by Chair Janet Yellen.

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange and Saudi Arabian conglomerate Ayedh Dejem Group said on Sunday they plan to develop and launch the Middle East’s first sharia-compliant spot gold contract to be traded on an international exchange. — Reuters.