India, Oct. 25 -- After hitting a record high earlier in the week, gold prices eased as investors became cautious ahead of the crucial economic data from the US officials. A firmer dollar dampened the sentiments. The yellow metal has gained more than 55 per cent this year, and breached the $4,000-per-ounce level for the first time in October. Experts view the latest decline as a natural and healthy pullback, or a correction after weeks of a prolonged upward run.

Despite the worries, a few still exude confidence. It is a pause, not a plunge. The long-term outlook remains bullish due to the ongoing global uncertainties, purchases by central banks, and sustained investors' appetite. Gold prices have possibly entered a volatile phase, which ...