Gold prices are near steady in early U.S. trading Friday. Safe-haven demand for the yellow metal is being met with bearish “outside markets”–a firmer U.S. dollar index and lower crude oil prices–to keep gold prices from straying too far from unchanged. December Comex gold was last down $1.00 at $1,224.30 an ounce. Spot gold was last quoted up $0.80 at $1,224.75. December Comex silver last traded down $0.088 at $17.33 an ounce.
