Gold futures settle at their lowest since March

Gold futures declined on Thursday to settle at their lowest since mid-March. The gold market’s monthly runaround on U.S. jobs data has started early with Thursday’s blow-out ADP private-sector jobs estimate for June, said Adrian Ash, director of research at BullionVault. Coupled with the hawkish tone from the latest Federal Reserve meeting notes, Friday’s official nonfarm payrolls data “could put another test of the $1,900 floor in play” when they’re released Friday, he said. Gold for August delivery GCQ23 fell $11.70, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,915.40 an ounce on Comex. Prices based on the most-active contract, prices…