Gold steadied near a 5-1/2-year low on Friday and was on track to show a loss for the seventh week in a row, its longest such slump since 1999, ahead of US data that may determine how soon the Federal Reserve raises interest rates. A strong jobs number would fan speculation the Fed will raise rates next month, which is likely to pull non-interest-bearing gold to fresh lows.
Spot gold was up 0.3 percent at $1,092.10 an ounce at 0647 GMT. The metal has been trading below $1,100 since breaching that support in a July 20 rout, sinking as far as $1,077 on July 24, its weakest since February 2010. Bullion was down marginally on the week, with a seventh weekly loss in a row matching a similar losing streak in May-June 1999. US gold for December delivery gained 0.1 percent to $1,091.60 an ounce.