Investing.com - Gold prices remained lower on Friday, held back by rising Treasury yields and a stronger dollar.
Comex gold futures for June delivery were down 0.12% to $1,287.90 a troy ounce as of 10:33 AM ET (14:33 GMT).
The price of bouillon was driven lower by the rise in the greenback and increase in bond yields.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a basket of six major currencies, inched down 0.02% to 93.37, but still remained near a five-month high.
Gold is denominated in the U.S. currency and is sensitive to moves in the dollar. Bullion becomes more expensive for holders of other currencies when the dollar rises.
Meanwhile the precious metal was held back by rising bond yields. The yield on the benchmark United States 10-Year Treasury note was at 3.100 after reaching a seven-year high of 3.126 on Thursday.
The rise in bond yields, along with positive economic data and rising inflation, has boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates and tighten monetary policy.
The Fed raised rates in March and is expected to raise rates twice more, with some investors expecting a third hike.
Expectations of higher interest rates tend to boost the dollar by making the currency more attractive to yield-seeking investors.
Higher rates are a negative for gold as the precious metal, which does not pay interest, struggles to compete with yield-bearing assets when rates rise.
Elsewhere on the Comex, silver futures were down 0.31% to $16.430 a troy ounce. Among other precious metals, Platinum Futures fell 0.56% to $887.10 while Palladium Futures slipped 0.44% to $973.20 an ounce. Copper futures decreased 0.71% to $3.067 a pound.