Meanwhile, the SPDR Gold Shares (NYSEArca: GLD) was 1.3% higher and the iShares Silver Trust (SLV) was up 2.2% as Comex gold futures pushed 1.3% higher to $1,873.04 per ounce and Comex silver futures increased 2.0% to $22.04 per ounce. Precious metals miner sector-related exchange traded funds stood out on Thursday as gold and silver prices gained on the weakening U.S. dollar. "A hawkish Fed (U.S. Federal Reserve), higher real rates, and what still remain anchored medium-term inflation expectations have weighed on gold price momentum amid a relatively robust dollar backdrop," Citi Research said in a note.