Gold higher

Bengaluru : Gold prices on Thursday held steady near a more than one-week high hit in the previous session, with hopes for a new round of U.S.-China trade talks weighing on the dollar.

Spot gold was firm at $1,205.16 an ounce at 0317 GMT, after hitting its highest since Aug. 31 at $1,208.48 on Wednesday.

Bullion gained 0.7 percent in the previous session, its biggest one-day rise since Aug. 24. U.S. gold futures were also mostly steady at $1,210.50 an ounce.

Senior U.S. officials sent an invitation to their Chinese counterparts to hold another bilateral trade meeting, raising speculation about a subtle shift in Washington´s policy.

The outreach comes as more than 85 U.S. industry groups launched a coalition on Wednesday to take a fight public against President Donald Trump´s trade tariffs.