Gold Prices Hold Steady Ahead of US Jobs Report

Gold prices held steady on Friday as investors awaited the U.S. jobs report for clues on the Federal Reserve's interest-rate path.

The stronger dollar and elevated Treasury yields, however, limited the appeal of non-yielding bullion.

Despite this, gold was on track for a second straight weekly decline, down 2.5% so far this week.

The dollar index edged down 0.2%, but remained near a 17-month high reached in the previous session, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Markets are focused on the September jobs report, due later on Friday, which is expected to show nearly 90,000 jobs added, down from 162,000 in August.