CHICAGO, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Tuesday on disappointing U.S. economic data.
The most active gold contract for February delivery rose 14.5 U.S. dollars, or 0.81 percent, to close at 1,814.6 dollars per ounce.
The Institute for Supply Management reported on Tuesday that the index of U.S.-based manufacturers dropped to 58.7 percent in December 2021 compared with 61.1 percent in November. The reading was the lowest since a matching 58.7 in January 2021.
U.S. Labor Department reported on Tuesday that U.S. employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November 2021, down from 11.1 million in October.
Gold found additional support as investors reacted to data collected by Johns Hopkins University that the United States registered 1,083,948 COVID infection cases on Monday, more than double the previous record of 486,428 set four days ago.
Investors are also waiting for the monthly U.S. jobs report due out on Friday, which could help guide price direction for gold.
Silver for March delivery rose 24.6 cents, or 1.08 percent, to close at 23.056 dollars per ounce. Platinum for April delivery rose 17.2 dollars, or 1.8 percent, to close at 971.2 dollars per ounce. Enditem