New Delhi, June 18 -- The rally in gold and silver came to a halt on Thursday, 18 June, as signals from US Federal Reserve officials pointing to a potential interest-rate hike later this year outweighed support from falling oil prices, which had eased inflation concerns.

Comex gold futures fell $140 per troy ounce to an intraday low of $4,241. If prices closed lower, as appears likely, gold will snap its four-session winning streak. Silver futures also tumbled nearly $5 per troy ounce, slipping below the $70 mark to around $66 and heading for their first decline in three sessions.

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday left the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% for a fourth consecutive meeting, as policymakers opted to wait for g...