02.07.201722:56:00UTC+00Gold Steady Ahead of U.S. Holiday

Gold prices were steady early on Monday, ahead of the U.S. Independence day holiday, while the dollar wavered near nine-month lows touched the previous week on indications of monetary tightening by global central banks.

Spot gold was almost little changed at $1,241.04 an ounce. It dropped more than two percent in June, its first monthly drop in 2017. U.S. gold futures for August delivery were 0.1 percent lower at $1,240.80 an ounce.

Holdings at the SPDR Gold Trust, the world's biggest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, dropped 0.14 percent to 852.50 tonnes on Friday from 853.68 tonnes the previous day.

Hedge funds and money managers cut their net long positions in COMEX gold and silver for the third consecutive week in the week to June 27, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Sales of U.S. Mint American Eagle gold coins during the first half of the year were the weakest for this period in a decade. Silver sales in the period were also the lowest since 2008, as stated in government data.