SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Gold futures ended sharply lower Wednesday, at their lowest since early January in the wake of the release of U.S. Federal Reserve meeting minutes and as other commodities and stocks also traded lower. Gold for June delivery GCM22, -0.77% ended $57.90 lower, or 3.5%, at $1.614.10 an ounce on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. That was the lowest settlement for a most-active gold contract since Jan. 9.