Gold stayed near a three-month top on Thursday after marking its best day in two weeks, buoyed by expectations that global economic and financial headwinds could make it tough for the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in the near term. Uncertainty around the timing of the next US rate hike has burnished gold's safe-haven draw that has been on full display since the year began as investors shunned risky assets.
Spot gold was little changed at $1,142.32 an ounce by 0625 GMT, after rising as high as $1,145.60 on Wednesday, its loftiest since October 30. Gold rallied 1.2 percent overnight, the biggest daily gain since January 20. It has risen nearly 8 percent so far this year.