SINGAPORE: Gold fell, pressured by a stronger US dollar and inflationary risks, as the war in the Middle East extended into a second week and oil surged above US$100 a barrel.
Bullion dropped to near US$5,120 an ounce in early trading, after posting its first weekly decline in more than a month. Major oil producers curbed output due to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which shows no sign of resolution, and a gauge of the dollar jumped 0.4%.
Gold has come under pressure as spiking crude prices stoke inflation fears in the US, raising the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will leave interest rates unchanged for longer, or even raise them.
