Gold futures traded marginally higher as market participants focus on next week’s FOMC meeting. As of 4:00 PM EST, the most active February contract of gold futures is up $3.80 and fixed at $1932.

Federal Reserve officials are anything but quiet before the 10-day blackout period that occurs just before an FOMC meeting. The first FOMC meeting of the year will begin on Tuesday, January 31, and conclude on Wednesday, February 1.

The financial markets echoed the uncertainty of market participants which caused a decline in US equities today, and strong gains in gold as a safe-haven play.