Pure 1,000-gram gold bars produced by South Korea's LS-Nikko are stacked in a dealers room in Seoul on January 9, 2009. Gold prices advanced on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it was nearing a pause in its rate-hike cycle, making the safe-haven asset a more attractive bet in a future low interest environment. Spot gold was up 0.4% at $1,976.98 per ounce, as of 0406 GMT. Traditionally considered a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainties, gold prices jumped 2% on Wednesday after the Fed raised interest rates by an expected 25 basis points, and indicated it might pause further increases after the recent collapse of two U.S. banks. Spot silver slipped 0.4% to $22.94 per ounce, platinum added 1.1% at $988.61, while palladium lost 0.5% to $1,443.57.

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