Gold prices held steady on Friday after easing from a more than one-week high as investors assessed the risks to the global economy from the coronavirus epidemic.

Spot gold was unchanged at $1,575.69 an ounce at 10:36 GMT, having earlier touched its highest since Feb. 4 at $1,577.89. For the week, bullion has so far gained about 0.3%.

U.S. gold futures were flat at $1,578.90.

Chinese authorities on Thursday reported 121 new deaths and 5,000 new coronavirus cases in mainland China with economists scaling back growth expectations for the world’s second-largest economy as they assess the impact of the outbreak.

Source : Reuters