Gold prices are heading higher on a risk-off Friday, triggered by a flight to safety on news of the emergence of a new variant of the COVID-19 virus. The strain is said to have originated from South Africa, but reports indicate that the variant has shown up in Belgium, Israel and Hong Kong. This has triggered some travel bans and fears of potential new lockdowns and more vast travel restrictions. Gold prices rose 0.95% on Friday, but the intraday spike was limited by the market sentiment around a hawkish Fed view. The content of the FOMC minutes released on Wednesday and commentary from key Fed members are adding ... (full story)