16.03.202310:03:00UTC+00Gold Prices Mixed Ahead Of ECB Meeting

Gold prices traded mixed on Thursday and the dollar index eased after Swiss regulators provided Credit Suisse, which is at the center of Europe's banking rout, a liquidity lifeline.

Spot gold edged up 0.2 percent to $1,921.26 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures were down 0.3 percent at $1,925.35.

Hopes for a Fed pivot have led to a plunge in government bond yields, helping limit the downside to some extent.

The Federal Reserve is expected to pause or go slow on interest rate hikes when it publishes new projections for the future path of the U.S. benchmark rate next week.

Elsewhere, the chance of a Bank of England rate pause next week stands at around 50 percent.

The Swiss lender announced that it would borrow up to 50 billion Swiss francs from the Swiss National Bank to restore investor confidence and boost liquidity.

The focus now shifts to a European Central Bank meeting later in the day, with analysts remaining divided over whether the central bank will agree a 25 or 50 basis point rise.

In economic releases, U.S. building permits, housing starts, export and import prices, all for February, and U.S. weekly jobless claims data are due to be released in the New York session.