Gold prices are modestly up in early-afternoon U.S. trading Wednesday, but well down from early gains of nearly $20 on the day, which pushed prices to a 3.5-month high. Today’s low-range closes that are likely suggest the bulls are now near-term exhausted and need to see a pause. Silver prices hit a three-week high above $15.00 earlier today, but could not hold above that key price level. Still, notions of easier global monetary policies and slowing world economic growth are bullish for the precious metals markets. August gold futures were last up $4.20 an ounce at $1,332.90. July Comex silver prices were last up $0.016 at $14.785 an ounce. The key “outside markets” today turned negative for the metals as the session progressed. The U.S. dollar index is trading higher and near the daily high at midday. Meantime, Nymex crude oil prices are sharply lower, hit a nearly five-month low and are trading just above $51.00 a barrel. Today’s U.S. economic data point of the day showed the ADP national employment report for May adding only 27,000 jobs in the month. The number was expected to come in at up 173,000. That report is a precursor to Friday morning’s more important employment situation report for May from the Labor Department. The non-farm jobs component of that report is forecast at up 180,000. The world marketplace at mid-week has been assuaged by notions the U.S. Federal Reserve could lower interest rates as soon as this summer, in an effort to keep U.S. economic expansion alive and to counter the negative effects of the U.S. trade disputes with its major trading partners. This week Fed officials, including Chairman Powell on Tuesday, have hinted the U.S. central bank is leaning toward an easier money policy even though it says it is being “patient” on monetary policy moves. Australia’s central bank may have started the ball rolling on easier money policies by announcing an interest rate cut on Tuesday