CHICAGO, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange settled higher on Tuesday as the U.S. dollar ticked down.

The most active gold contract for April delivery went up 5.00 U.S. dollars, or 0.38 percent, to close at 1,306.50 dollars per ounce.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, fell 0.14 percent to 96.39 as of 1722 GMT, shortly before the settlement of gold futures.

The dollar weakened on Tuesday as the U.S. Federal Reserve started a two-day meeting on monetary policy. It is widely expected that Fed policy makers will maintain a dovish stance.

If so, gold will benefit from a weak dollar, said analysts.

Meanwhile, the Brexit uncertainty also helped support gold, a safe haven asset.

The outlook for Britain's economy looks weak in terms of business investment and trade amid the continued Brexit uncertainty, the British Chambers of Commerce said on Monday.

As for other precious metals, silver for May delivery was up 5 cents, or 0.33 percent to close at 15.372 dollars per ounce. Platinum for April delivery was up 18.6 dollars, or 2.23 percent, to settle at 852.60 dollars per ounce. Enditem

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