BENGALURU, June 3 (Reuters) - Gold slipped early Friday and
was headed for its fifth straight weekly decline, as the dollar
and Asian stocks steadied and the market awaited the U.S.
non-farm payrolls data due later in the day.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= dipped 0.2 percent at $1,207.80 per ounce
by 0052 GMT. Gold is on track to register its fifth straight
weekly decline, and was currently down about 0.3 percent for
this week.
* U.S. gold GCcv1 was down 0.2 percent at $1,210.40
* The dollar index held near a two-month peak, leaving it
poised for a breakthrough should non-farm payrolls due later in
the day bolster expectations for an imminent hike in U.S. rates.
USD/
* Asian shares held steady on Friday as investors braced for
U.S. payrolls data. MKTS/GLOB
* U.S. private employers increased hiring in May and new
applications for jobless benefits fell last week, further
boosting the economic outlook for the second quarter. Another
report on Thursday showed planned layoffs by U.S.-based
employers fell 53 percent to a five-month low last month.
* The steady stream of upbeat data suggest the economy is
regaining momentum after growth slowed sharply at the start of
the year, which could allow the Federal Reserve to raise
interest rates later this month or in July.
* Dallas Fed President Robert Kaplan on Thursday reiterated
his view that the central bank should raise interest rates soon
because the economy is getting "pretty darn close" to full
employment and inflation is starting to rise.
* Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.51 percent to 875.20
tonnes on Thursday from 870.74 tonnes on Wednesday, the highest
since October 2013.
* The Perth Mint's sales of gold products fell to the lowest
in four years, while silver sales dropped to a nine-month low as
consumers awaited a further fall in prices on expectations of an
earlier-than-expected U.S. Federal Reserve interest rate hike.
* For the top stories on metals and other news, click
TOP/MTL or GOL
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
0750 France Markit services PMI May
0755 Germany Markit services PMI May
0800 Euro zone Markit service PMI final May
0900 Euro zone Retail sales Apr
1230 U.S. non-farm payrolls May
1230 U.S. Unemployment rate May
1230 U.S. International trade Apr
1400 U.S. factory orders Apr
1400 U.S. ISM non-manufacturing PMI May