Gold traded with marginal gains near $5195 per ounce during Asian trade on Friday and was on track to end February with gains of around 10%, supported by strong safe-haven demand amid geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty. Renewed tensions in the Middle East kept bullion supported after US military deployments near Iran and the lack of progress in nuclear talks this week, although both sides agreed to continue discussions. These factors helped gold recover most of its late-January losses. Additional support came from fresh geopolitical risks in South Asia following reports of conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, though the impact remained limited. Ongoing concerns over US trade disruptions and slowing growth in major economies also sustained demand for defensive assets. In domestic markets, MCX gold futures for April delivery traded 0.4% higher at Rs 160288 per 10 grams.
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