PRECIOUS-Gold eases as firmer U.S. Treasury yields weigh

Shafaq News/ Gold prices edged lower on Thursday as higher U.S. Treasury yields dented the metal's appeal.

Spot gold fell 0.4% to $1,797.73 per ounce by 0540 GMT.

U.S. gold futures gained 0.1% to $1,795.50.

U.S. central bank's promise to get the economy back to full employment, and to not worry about inflation unless prices begin rising in a persistent and troubling way.

Benchmark U.S. Treasury yields hovered near a one-year peak hit in the previous session. Higher yields increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

The dollar languished near three-year lows versus riskier currencies.

Central bankers worldwide have been unequivocal that there are no plans to cut back on money-printing any time soon, or raise interest rates, but markets do not seem to be buying it.

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SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.4% to 1,106.36 tons on Wednesday from 1,110.44 tons on Tuesday.

Silver slipped 0.2% to $28.04 an ounce. Platinum fell 0.7% to $1,259.5, while palladium eased 0.1% to 2444.50$