Gold and silver fell on Thursday as the U.S. dollar firmed after stronger-than-expected January jobs data dented expectation ​for near-term interest ⁠rate cuts, while investors awaited inflation data due on Friday for more ‌monetary policy cues.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was down 0.4% at $5,058.64 per ounce by 0134 GMT after rising ​more than 1% in the previous session.

* U.S. gold futures for April delivery lost 0.3% ​to $5,080.0 per ​ounce.

* Spot silver fell 1.4% to $82.87 per ounce, after a 4% climb on Wednesday.

* The U.S. dollar index rose, building on Wednesday's rally following ⁠the surprisingly strong employment report that suggested underlying U.S. economic health. A stronger dollar makes greenback-priced metals more expensive for other currency holders.

* U.S. job growth unexpectedly accelerated in January and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, signs of labour ​market stability that could ‌give the Federal ⁠Reserve room ⁠to keep interest rates unchanged for some time while policymakers monitor inflation.

* But the largest increase ​in payrolls in 13 months likely exaggerates the labour market's ‌health, as revisions showed the economy added only ⁠181,000 jobs in 2025 instead of the previously estimated 584,000.

* The Fed will keep rates unchanged through Chair Jerome Powell's term ending in May but cut immediately afterward in June, a Reuters poll showed, with economists warning that policy under his likely successor, Kevin Warsh, could become too loose.

* Investors now await the weekly jobless claims report on Thursday and inflation data on Friday for more cues on the Fed's monetary policy path.

* After talks with Israeli ‌Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said ⁠they reached no "definitive" agreement on how to move forward ​with Iran but he insisted negotiations with Tehran would continue to see if a deal can be achieved.

* Spot platinum shed 1% to $2,110.63 per ounce, while palladium rose ​0.4% to $1,707.17.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0700 UK GDP Est ‌3M/3M Dec 0700 UK GDP Estimate MM, YY Dec 0700 UK Services MM, YY Dec 0700 UK Manufacturing Output MM Dec 0700 UK GDP Prelim ⁠QQ, YY Q4 1330 US Initial Jobless Clm 7 Feb, ​w/e 1500 US Existing Home Sales Jan (Reporting by Ishaan Arora; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)