SINGAPORE: Gold regained some strength on Thursday after a drop in the previous session attracted bargain hunters, but a strong dollar and fading expectations of more monetary easing in the United States made the metal vulnerable to more selling.
Some jewellers in Hong Kong returned to the physical market, but bullion holders in other parts of Asia shifted their money into equities after strong U.S. economic data and accommodative monetary policies by global central banks sent investors back into risk assets.
Spot gold hit an intraday high at $1,648.41 an ounce and stood at $1,643.59 by 0703 GMT, up $1.49. Gold extended losses and fell more than 2 percent on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve offered no clues on further easing.
"Sentiment is of course very bad. After slipping below $1,650, prices may go down further to $1,600," said Ronald Leung, director of Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong, adding that a rebound will be capped at between $1,675 and $1,680.
"Safe-haven (appeal) is forgotten for the time being. The demand is sluggish because of the strong dollar. Speculators dumped their gold," he said.
Gold has fallen around 8 percent since late February as funds appeared to have closed out of their bullish bets on worries the Fed has no intention to buy any more major assets to keep interest rates and borrowing costs low.
Bullion rose to a record of around $1,920 last September on fears the euro debt crisis could stall global growth.
U.S. April gold rose $1.30 an ounce to $1,644.20 an ounce.
The dollar rallied to an 11-month high against the yen and a one-month peak against the euro on Thursday on growing optimism about a U.S. economic recovery and subsequent rises in U.S. bond yields.
In theory, a firmer dollar hurts dollar-based commodities such as gold, as well as industrial metals such as copper, which is weighed by concerns about slowing demand from China, the world's largest consumer.
China's Premier Wen Jiabao said on Wednesday that China must embrace slower growth and bolder political reform to keep its economy from faltering and to spread wealth more evenly.
But a Reuters polls found developed economies will pick up steam this year thanks to an array of ultra-loose monetary policies from major central banks and amid new signs of progress in the euro zone's debt crisis.
In the physical market, a lack of buying from jewellers despite a recent drop in prices rattled the nerves of some Singapore dealers.
"I guess the dynamics have changed. Customers will only take gold if there's a need to. Otherwise, there's no commitment," said a dealer in Singapore.
In the equity market, the Nikkei rose for a third straight session on Thursday, boosted by major exporters that surged on the back of a weaker yen as market players grew more optimistic about the U.S. economic recovery.
