Gold inched Higher on Thursday Along With An Uptick in Oil Prices, capped by Strong Usd and US Data

Spot gold edged up 0.2 percent to $1,212.63 an ounce by 0045 GMT. The metal fell 0.7 percent in the previous session, ending a three-day winning streak. Prices had climbed to a three-week high on global equities concerns over a Greece exit of the euro zone if a left-wing party that wants to cancel austerity measures wins the Jan. 25 elections. But gold lost some ground on Wednesday as stocks edged up after recent sharp losses and as minutes from the Federal Reserve's policy meeting in December showed the U.S. central bank maintaining the status quo on interest rates. Data on Wednesday also showed the U.S. trade deficit fell to an 11-month low in November as declining crude oil prices curbed the import bill, prompting economists to sharply raise their growth estimates for fourth-quarter growth. Traders were eyeing U.S. payrolls data due later this week for clues about the economy and its potential impact on the Fed's monetary policy. A robust economy could prompt the Fed to raise interest rates soon, dulling demand for non-interest-bearing bullion. For now, investors were eyeing moves in oil prices, which slumped to five-year lows earlier this week. U.S. crude stayed above $48 a barrel on Thursday, holding on to gains in the previous session following an unexpected drop in crude inventories and a positive economic outlook at the world's largest oil consumer the United States.

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