Gold prices edged higher in early Asian deals on Monday, helped by a weaker US dollar, although the prospect of a second increase in US interest rates this year to curb inflation weighed on appetite for the precious metal.

Gold Prices

And by 00:51 GMT gold in instant transactions rose by 0.3% to $1926.29 an ounce. And US gold futures rose 0.3% to $1,936.10 an ounce.

Dollar Index

The dollar index fell 0.2%, according to Reuters, making gold more attractive to buyers than holders of other currencies.

Precious Metals

Gold fell 1.8% last week following announcements of monetary tightening by several US central bank officials.

In other precious metals, silver rose 0.7% to $22.57 an ounce. Platinum rose 0.8% to $924.13 an ounce. Palladium rose 1% to $1,297.63 an ounce.

Palladium

Palladium fell to a four-year low of $1,269.09 an ounce on Thursday.