By Claudia Assis
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Oil kept its losses but gold extended its gains Thursday after macroeconomic gauges pointed to slower pace of growth for the U.S. Oil for July delivery lost 45 cents, or 0.5%, to $77.30 a barrel. Gold for August delivery added $17.60, or 1.4%, to $1,248 an ounce. Manufacturing in the Philadelphia region increased in June, but at a much slower pace, the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia reported Thursday. Earlier, the Conference Board said it expects slower growth for the rest of the year on both sides of the Atlantic, as the index of leading economic indicators rose 0.4% in May. Analysts polled by MarketWatch had expected the index to rise around 0.7%.
