Gold prices eased on Wednesday as the dollar held firm, while investors looked for more US economic data for further cues on upcoming rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. Spot gold was down 0.5 percent at USD 2,649.17 per ounce. US gold futures eased 0.7 percent to USD 2,670.30. Market participants will now monitor employment data and remarks from Fed officials later in the day, along with services data and nonfarm payrolls (NFP), due later this week. Spot silver shed 0.8 percent to USD 31.17 per ounce, platinum was steady at USD 986.43 and palladium rose 0.5 percent to USD 999.94. Source: Qatar News Agency