-- Comex April gold recently up 60 cents at $1,750.10 a troy ounce -- Steady dollar limits support for dollar-denominated gold -- Investors cautious ahead of Bernanke comments, Friday's U.S. jobs report By Matt Day Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Gold futures held steady Thursday after touching their highest levels since early December, shifting between slight gains and losses as a steady dollar and caution ahead of comments from the U.S. central bank chief kept traders on the sidelines. Gold for April delivery, the most actively traded contract, was recently up 60 cents at $1,750.10 a troy ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures earlier rose as high as $1,756.70 a troy ounce, the highest intraday level since Dec. 8. The U.S. dollar edged higher in quiet trading Thursday, as investors were cautious about holding perceived risky currencies ahead of a final deal on restructuring Greece's debt and comments from Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke. "The dollar remains quite stable, keeping [metals] prices relatively range-bound," said Marc Ground, an analyst with Standard Bank, in a note. A stronger dollar can limit interest in dollar-denominated gold by making the futures more expensive for buyers using other currencies. Other investors were content Thursday to stay on the sidelines of the gold market ahead of Friday's closely watched U.S. monthly unemployment report, analysts said. Bernanke was set to testify before a U.S. Congressional committee at 10 a.m. EST. Gold futures settled at the highest price in almost two months Wednesday, buoyed by a weaker dollar and demand for the metal as an alternative asset amid low U.S. interest rates. Between the Federal Reserve's announcement last week of its forecast for low short-term U.S. rates into 2014 and Wednesday's close, gold has climbed 5%, rising in five of six sessions. Low interest rates can increase investors' appetite for gold by making the metal more attractive compared with interest-bearing assets. Some investors also buy gold to shield their wealth from the potential inflation such easy money policies can bring. -By Matt Day, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-4986; matt.day@dowjones.com

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