Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange ended higher Friday, as reports of another missile test from Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and further weakness in the U.S. dollar boosted investment demand for the precious metal.

The most active gold contract for August delivery rose 8.4 U.S. dollars, or 0.67 percent, to settle at 1,268.4 dollars per ounce.

The DPRK launched a ballistic missile on Friday, said Pentagon. The news gave gold an added lift as it fed uncertainty, prompting traders to seek out safer investments.

A broad measure of the U.S. currency, the U.S. Dollar which compares the greenback against a half-dozen other currencies, was down about 0.5 percent as of 1930 GMT.

Commodities priced in dollars often trade inversely with the dollar, as moves in the U.S. unit can influence the attractiveness of those commodities to holders of other currencies.

As for other precious metals, silver for September delivery went up 12.2 cents, or 0.74 percent, to close at 16.695 dollars per ounce. Platinum for October delivery added 10.2 dollars, or 1.1 percent, to close at 936.6 dollars per ounce.