Gold little changed after Fed's statement

Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose slightly on Thursday as the U.S. Federal Reserve said they would be patient before raising interest rates after a two-day policy meeting.

The most active gold contract for February delivery rose 0.3 U. S. dollar, or 0.03 percent, to settle at 1,194.8 dollars per ounce.

Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen said she would leave rates near- zero for "at least a couple of meetings." Analysts believe the earliest possible rate hike could not be until April 2015, supporting for gold.

Gold's gains were capped, however, by a stronger U.S. dollar and positive U.S. equities. The U.S. Dollar Spot Index, a measure of the dollar against a basket of major currencies, rose by 0.19 percent on Thursday following Wednesday's 1.26-percent jump, putting more pressure on the price of gold.

A report from the U.S. Department of Labor weighed further on gold, as the weekly jobless claims report showed unemployment claims fell by 6,000 to 289,000 during the Dec. 13 week, much better than expected.

Silver for March delivery added 0.6 cents, or 0.04 percent, to close at 15.934 dollars per ounce. Platinum for January delivery lost 2.4 dollars, or 0.20 percent, to close at 1,197.1 dollars per ounce.