MW: Gold loses, oil steady after leading indicators
By Claudia Assis
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures turned lower Thursday after macroeconomic data painted a rosier picture of the economy even as jobless claims rose more than expected. Gold for December delivery retreated $1.80, or 0.2%, to $1,290.40 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude oil trimmed losses slightly, with the November contract receding 62 cents, or 0.8%, to $74.08 a barrel. Existing home sales rebounded modestly and the Conference Board said its leading economic index rose 0.3% in August, after a 0.1% rise in the previous month. Economists polled by MarketWatch had expected a 0.2% rise.
