MANILA, March 3 (Reuters) - Gold clung to modest overnight
gains on Thursday as inflows to the world's top gold-back
exchange-traded fund climbed to the highest since September
2014, reflecting optimism bullion can stretch this year's rally.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,239.40 an ounce
by 0027 GMT, after rising 0.7 percent on Wednesday. The metal
hit a one-year high of $1,260.60 on Feb. 11 as uncertainty in
the global economy whetted investor appetite for safe havens.
* U.S. gold for April delivery GCcv1 was off 0.1 percent
at $1,240.40 an ounce.
* While gold faces firm resistance at $1,250-$1,260, HSBC
said "the market has built a solid and supportive base above
$1,200" and there is enough risk sentiment and uncertainty to
support the metal.
* Gold has gained nearly 17 percent this year to be among
the top performing commodities.
* Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose further to 25.35 million
ounces on Wednesday, the most since September 2014. GOL/ETF
* San Francisco Federal Reserve President John Williams said
he is not worried that the global economic slowdown,
stock-market sell-off and the oil price slide since the
beginning of the year will knock the U.S. recovery off its
tracks or send the economy into recession.
* U.S. private employers added 214,000 jobs in February,
above economists' expectations, suggesting solid job growth
despite market turmoil and worries about a slowing global
economy.
* The data comes ahead of Friday's crucial U.S. nonfarm
payrolls, which is forecast to have risen by 190,000 last month
after increasing by 151,000 in January, according to a Reuters
poll of economists. USNFAR=ECI
* For the top stories on metals and other news, click
TOP/MTL or GOL
MARKET NEWS
* Asian shares were trying to string together three sessions
of gains as the upbeat data on U.S. jobs and gains for a range
of commodities increased risk appetites globally. MKTS/GLOB
* Oil prices ended up for a third straight day on Wednesday
as buyers shrugged off record high U.S. crude stockpiles to
focus on an OPEC plan to freeze production. O/R
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
0145 China Caixin services PMI Feb
0850 France Markit services PMI Feb
0855 Germany Markit services PMI Feb
0900 Euro zone Markit services PMI final Feb
1000 Euro zone Retail sales Jan
1330 U.S. Weekly jobless claims
1500 U.S. ISM non-manufacturing PMI Feb