This week's set-piece event is the Jackson Hole central-bank gathering in Wyoming, slated for Thursday through Saturday. Investors will tune into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech for any hints on whether the central bank might kick off interest-rate cuts in September.

Gold was steady on Thursday as investors awaited cues on the Federal Reserve's policy outlook ahead of the annual economic symposium at Jackson Hole in Wyoming, which starts later in the day.

“It seems like folks are hedging a little going into Jackson Hole, thinking Powell might be more hawkish than markets currently appreciate,” said James Cox, managing partner at Harris Financial Group...