Gold was steady on Friday ahead of key U.S. jobs data later in the day, with prices curbed as the U.S. dollar stood firm near a seven-week high.

Fundamentals

* Spot gold was little changed at $1,268.52 an ounce at 0049 GMT. It shed 0.5 percent in the previous session.

* U.S. gold futures for December delivery were down 0.2 percent at $1,270.90 per ounce.

* Asian stocks rose on Friday after optimism over U.S. tax reform plans lifted Wall Street shares to new highs, while the dollar hovered near a seven-week peak following additional indications of solid economic growth.

* The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, but the continued impact of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma on the data made it difficult to get a clear picture of the labour market.

* The Bank of Japan's policies are finally nearing a "true dawn", Deputy Governor Hiroshi Nakaso said on Thursday as he predicted a long-awaited build-up of inflation pressures in an economy long haunted by deflation.

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