CHICAGO, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange closed lower on Friday, as the precious metal was kept under pressure by a stronger U.S. dollar.
The most active gold contract for February delivery fell 9.80 U.S. dollars, or 0.77 percent, to settle at 1,258.10 dollars per ounce.
The U.S. dollar index, which measures the buck against six rivals, went up 0.62 percent to 96.99 as of 1815 GMT.
Gold usually moves in opposite directions with the U.S. dollar, which means if the dollar goes strong, gold futures will fall as gold, priced in U.S. dollar, becomes expensive for investors using other currencies.
Gold lost some ground after data from the Commerce Department revealed that U.S. consumer spending grew faster than incomes in November.
The University of Michigan' s consumer-sentiment gauge also registered a final December reading of 98.3, better than some economists' expectation.
As for other precious metals, silver for March delivery dropped 16.70 cents, or 1.12 percent, to settle at 14.702 dollars per ounce. Platinum for January delivery stayed unchanged at 795.80 dollars per ounce. Enditem
