• Gold prices turned negative on Friday on a firmer dollar, while investors focused on the U.S. jobs data due later in the day for fresh catalysts.
• Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,309.93 per ounce at 0740 GMT, and was headed for a third consecutive weekly decline.
• U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell 0.15 percent to $1,310.70 per ounce.
• "The focus is on the U.S. nonfarm payroll data ... We see dollar index rising once again on expectations of higher number and that's what is affecting gold price," said Naeem Aslam, chief markets analyst at Think Markets.
• The dollar index was up about 0.1 percent at 92.498 with the focus on whether U.S. jobs data will provide the spark for another push higher. Against a basket of currencies, the index touched a 2018 peak of 92.834 on Wednesday.
• The greenback was on track for an about 1 percent gain for the week.
• The employment report for April will be evaluated for further indications of the strength of the U.S. labour market and inflation pressures. Nonfarm payrolls (NFP) likely increased by 192,000 jobs in April after rising 103,000 in March, according to a Reuters survey of economists.
• "Gold bears may be offered an opportunity to attack and conquer the $1,300 level today, if the NFP data results exceed market expectations," said Lukman Otunuga, research analyst at FXTM.
• Spot gold is biased to bounce more to a resistance at $1,326 per ounce, as suggested by a projection analysis and a falling channel, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.
• Among other precious metals, spot silver was flat at $16.41 per ounce.
• Platinum fell 0.1 percent to $898.80 per ounce and was on track for a third weekly fall.
• Palladium inched lower to 0.1 percent to $961.50 per ounce.
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