NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Gold for December delivery finished a volatile session slightly lower on Friday, ending four straight sessions of gains, due to a stronger dollar and with high volatility brought about in markets by the expiration of equities futures and options contracts.
Gold for December delivery finished down $3.20, or 0.3%, at $1,010.30 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It traded as high as $1,019.50 and fell to an intraday low of 1,008.00.December gold hit an 18-month high at $1,025.80 an ounce on Thursday.
The thinly-traded September contract finished at $1,009.20 an ounce, down $3.10, or 0.4%. The record intraday price for a front-month gold contract is $1,033.90 an ounce, set on March 17, 2008.
