Gold prices got a little boost on Friday and looked ready for a weekly gain, thanks to a weaker dollar making gold cheaper for buyers using other currencies. Spot gold rose 0.2% to $4,180.57 per ounce early Friday, marking a 4.5% rise so far this week. However, U.S. Federal Reserve officials sent mixed signals. Their hawkish talks gently cooled trader excitement about a possible interest rate cut next month. Despite a 25 basis point rate cut last month, Fed Chair Jerome Powell warned that more cuts this year are uncertain due to lacking data. Traders are now betting only a 51% chance of another quarter-point cut in December, down from 64% earlier. Typically, gold loves low interest rates and tricky economic times because it doesn’t pay interest itself. In the bigger picture, the U.S. government got back to work after a record 43-day shutdown, easing worries about economic data flow. The world’s biggest gold-backed ETF, SPDR Gold Trust, saw its gold holdings tick up 0.22% to 1,048.93 tons on Thursday, signaling investor interest. It’s not just gold that’s on the move. Spot silver jumped 0.6% to $52.64 per ounce, platinum gained 0.6% to $1,589.80, and palladium also edged higher by 0.6% to $1,435.20. The softer dollar continues to shine light on precious metals, but the Fed’s careful steps keep traders on their toes. Will gold keep its glitter alive? Only time will tell!