Gold prices declined on Friday, even as Asian equity markets recorded sharp losses. Spot gold dropped 0.6% to $4,063.39 an ounce by early morning trading in Asia, while December futures lost 1% to reach $4,072.90. Japan’s Nikkei 225 plummeted about 5.7% by midday, and South Korea’s KOSPI briefly slid more than 8%, highlighting the scale of the selloff in regional stocks. Despite the volatility in equities, gold failed to attract significant safe-haven demand.