Gold prices finished with a modest drop today as traders looked ahead to monthly U.S. jobs data and the outcome of the European Central Bank meeting for guidance.
Gold for August delivery slipped 20 cents to close at $1,244.30 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York mercantile Exchange.
In other metals, July silver increased 0.2 percent to $18.79 an ounce.
July platinum ticked up 40 cents to close at $1,433.90 an ounce, while September palladium rose 45 cents to finish at $837.15 an ounce.
High-grade copper for July delivery finished down 1.4 percent to $3.09 a pound.
In energy markets, oil futures settled little changed today as traders weighed a weekly government report showing a bigger-than-expected decline in crude supplies. The data, however, also revealed increases in gasoline and distillate inventories.
July crude surrendered 2 cents to close at $102.64 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after earlier trading at highs above the $103 level.