Gold prices edged lower in Asian trade on Friday as stocks firmed and the US dollar rose on expectations the Federal Reserve would raise interest rates by year-end. 

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                           FUNDAMENTALS 

* Spot gold was down 0.1 % at USD1,256.50 an ounce by 0059 GMT.

* US gold futures were up 0.1 percent at USD1,258.50 an ounce.

 * The dollar index , which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, gained 0.1 percent to 97.613. 

* Asian stocks edged higher and the dollar bounced on Friday as global markets took a breather after being churned by downbeat Chinese economic data the previous day. 

* Holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.28 percent to 961.57 tonnes on Thursday.