Barrick Eyes Year-End Special Dividend as XAUUSD Holds Firm Near $2,350 Pre-NFP

XAUUSD trades steadily near $2,350 ahead of US NFP (+240K jobs expected), supported by Barrick Mining's Q1 gold sales surging 72% Y/Y and positive outlook for a strong year-end special dividend amid $3B buyback plans. Momentum built from AngloGold Ashanti's FCF leaping 190% YoY to $1.17B with $868M net cash, a precious metals sector rally of 8.1%, and bullish junior updates including NevGold's C$42.2M financing and Centerra Gold's Strong Buy rating ($24.30 target). Ongoing DeFi gold yield innovations and strong drill results from explorers like San Lorenzo further bolster sentiment.