Investing.com - Gold prices rallied to the highest levels of the session on Wednesday, after data showed that U.S. non-farm private employment rose at the slowest pace in ten months.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for June delivery rose $8.90, or 0.75%, to trade at $1,192.10 a troy ounce during U.S. morning hours.
A day earlier, gold hit $1,178.20, the lowest level since March 20, before ending at $1,183.20, down $2.10, or 0.18%.
Futures were likely to find support at $1,168.70, the low from March 20, and resistance at $1,199.60, the high from March 30.
Payroll processing firm ADP said non-farm private employment rose by 189,000 last month, below expectations for an increase of 225,000. The economy created 214,000 jobs in February, whose figure was upwardly revised from a previously reported 212,000.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, was down 0.3% to 98.40 after the disappointing jobs report.
Dollar weakness usually benefits gold, as it boosts the metal's appeal as an alternative asset and makes dollar-priced commodities cheaper for holders of other currencies.
Investors now turned their attention to Friday’s U.S. employment report for February for further indications on the future path of monetary policy.
A strong U.S. nonfarm payrolls report was likely to add to speculation over when the Federal Reserve will begin to raise interest rates, while a weak number could weigh on the dollar by undermining the argument for an early rate hike.
Elsewhere on the Comex, silver futures for May delivery tacked on 9.9 cents, or 0.6%, to trade at $16.69 a troy ounce, while copper for May delivery shed 1.5 cents, or 0.55%, to trade at $2.725 a pound.
Official data released earlier showed that China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index inched up to 50.1 this month, just above the 50-point level that separates growth in activity from contraction. Analysts had expected a reading of 49.7, down slightly from February's reading of 49.9.
Meanwhile, the China HSBC (LONDON:HSBA) final manufacturing PMI was revised up to 49.6 in March from an initial estimate of 49.2 but down from 50.7 the previous month.
Despite the modest improvement, both reports indicate economic conditions remain sluggish, fuelling speculation policymakers in China will have to do more to jumpstart the economy.
The Asian nation is the world’s largest copper consumer, accounting for almost 40% of world consumption last year.