Investing.com - Gold rose to the highest levels of the session on Wednesday, after data showed that retail sales in the U.S. fell more than expected in December, dampening optimism over the strength of the economic recovery.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for February delivery tacked on $2.90, or 0.23%, to trade at $1,237.40 a troy ounce during U.S. morning hours. Prices held in a range between $1,225.40 and $1,239.90.
A day earlier, gold hit $1,244.50, the most since October 23, before settling at $1,234.40, up $1.60, or 0.13%.
Futures were likely to find support at $1,217.50, the low from January 12, and resistance at $1,244.50, the high from January 13.
Also on the Comex, silver futures for March delivery tumbled 25.8 cents, or 1.5%, to trade at $16.89 a troy ounce, after hitting a session low of $16.56.
The U.S. Commerce Department said that retail sales declined by a seasonally adjusted 0.9% last month, worse than expectations for a drop of 0.1%.
Rising retail sales over time correlate with stronger economic growth, while weaker sales signal a declining economy.
Core retail sales, which exclude automobile sales, slumped by a seasonally adjusted 1.0% in December, disappointing forecasts for a 0.1% increase.
Core sales correspond most closely with the consumer spending component of the government's gross domestic product report. Consumer spending accounts for as much as 70% of U.S. economic growth.
The disappointing data dampened optimism over the strength of the economy and reduced expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin to raise rates sooner than previously thought.
A delay in raising interest rates would be seen as bullish for gold, as it decreases the relative cost of holding on to the metal, which doesn't offer investors any similar guaranteed payout.
The US dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, fell 0.45% to 92.03, moving off a 12-year peak of 92.76 hit last week.
Elsewhere in metals trading, copper for March delivery fell by as much as 7.9% to hit a session low of $2.434 a pound, a level not seen since June 2009, before trading at $2.524, down 12.0 cents, or 4.53%.
Meanwhile, oil prices continued to tumble on Wednesday to trade near the lowest level in six years as ongoing concerns over a glut in global supplies drove down prices.
London-traded Brent prices fell 91 cents, or 1.89%, to $46.92 a barrel, while Nymex oil sank 62 cents, or 1.36%, to end at $45.27.
The World Bank lowered its global growth forecast to 3.0% for this year from an earlier estimate of 3.4%, citing weaker than expected growth in the euro zone, Japan and some major emerging economies.
The agency also trimmed its 2016 forecast for global growth to 3.3% from 3.5%.
Oil and copper are sensitive to the economic growth outlook because of their widespread uses across industries.