Gold prices continued to rise in early trading, and investors turned their attention to a series of key US economic data to be released this week to find more clues about the outlook for monetary policy. New York futures rose 0.6% to $4,479.90 an ounce, while the US dollar index remained flat at 98.24. The price of gold climbed the previous trading day, as news of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stimulated safe-haven demand. Mitsubishi UFJ's Soojin Kim said, “Gold has just recorded its strongest annual performance since 1979, but in the short term, gold prices may face pressure from commodity index rebalancing, which may prompt passive funds to reduce their positions after last year's record gains.”

Gold prices continued to rise in early trading, and investors turned their attention to a series of key US economic data to be released this week to find more clues about the outlook for monetary policy. New York futures rose 0.6% to $4,479.90 an ounce, while the US dollar index remained flat at 98.24. The price of gold climbed the previous trading day, as news of the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stimulated safe-haven demand. Mitsubishi UFJ's Soojin Kim said, “Gold has just recorded its strongest annual performance since 1979, but in the short term, gold prices may face pressure from commodity index rebalancing, which may prompt passive funds to reduce their positions after last year's record gains.”