Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Monday, as the greenback weakened and U.S. equities fell, which boosts inventor interest in the precious metal.

The most active gold contract for April delivery went up 5.5 dollars, or 0.42 percent, to close at 1,317.8 dollars per ounce.

The U.S. dollar index, which measures the buck against six rivals, went down 0.5 percent to 89.81 as of 1730 GMT.

Gold and the dollar typically move in opposite directions, which means if the dollar goes weak, gold futures will rise.

As for other precious metals, silver for May delivery rose 5.3 cents, or 0.33 percent, to settle at 16.325 dollars per ounce. Platinum for April added 4.2 dollars, or 0.44 percent, to close at 954.4 dollars per ounce.