Gold prices stabilize ahead of employment data release

Gold prices remained stable during early Asian trade on Thursday as investors awaited the upcoming US employment data release scheduled for Friday, seeking clues regarding the future path of interest rates. Spot gold held steady at $4,146.66 per ounce, while US gold futures for December delivery edged down 0.3% to $4,177. Official data released on Wednesday showed that US inflation rose less than expected in August, reducing expectations of an interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve in October. In other precious metals, spot silver fell 0.4% to $60.17 per ounce, platinum dropped 0.1% to $1,704.95, and palladium lost 0.4% to trade at $1,200.85 per ounce.