• Gold hit a near five-month peak on Friday, rising over one percent on safe-haven buying after the U.S. military launched cruise missile strikes against a Syrian air base controlled by President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
• Spot gold rose 1.3 percent to $1,267.43 per ounce by 0225 GMT, after touching a high of $1,269.28, its highest since Nov. 10, and was track for a fourth straight week of gains.
• "Clearly this raises the stakes and we expect to see gold prices continuing to push higher in the short-term, at least until there is some clarity around whether this is a one-off or develops into something more," ANZ analyst Daniel Hynes said.
• Investors will watch out for March U.S. non-farm payrolls data due later on Friday, which analysts say could be key for the short-term direction of the gold market.
• According to a Reuters survey of economists, non-farm payrolls likely increased by 180,000 jobs last month after rising 235,000 in February. Strong job gains will likely add upward pressure on wages, supporting higher interest rates.
• Spot silver rose over 1 pct to $18.43 an ounce, after touching a more than one-month peak of $18.47.
Reference: Reuters