SINGAPORE, May 4 (Reuters) - Gold nursed losses on
Wednesday, holding below a 15-month high as the dollar firmed
after two Federal Reserve officials talked up U.S. interest rate
hikes this year.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,285.19 an ounce
by 0033 GMT, after dropping 0.4 percent in the previous session.
* U.S. gold GCcv1 eased 0.4 percent to $1,287.20, falling
for a second straight session after a six-day rally.
* The United States could see two further interest rate
rises this year, Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart said on
Tuesday.
* San Francisco Fed President John Williams said Tuesday
that he would support an interest-rate hike in June as long as
he sees continued progress on the economy, inflation and jobs.
* The dollar index .DXY , which measures the greenback's
strength against six major currencies, finished Tuesday's
session up 0.3 percent after hitting a 15-month low earlier in
the session, recording its first increase in seven days.
* Earlier this week, gold had climbed to $1,303.60, its
highest since January 2015, after the dollar slumped against the
yen.
* Gold prices have gained 21 percent since the start of the
year on the outlook that the Fed has slowed its expected pace of
rate increases. Bullion is sensitive to rising interest rates,
which lift the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.
* The recent rally in prices has prompted investors to pour
money into gold funds.
* Assets of SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's top
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose to their highest since
December 2013 on Monday. GOL/ETF
* Mining company Glencore GLEN.L is considering selling
its Vasilkovskoye gold mine in Kazakhstan, sources close to the
deal said on Tuesday.
* For the top stories on metals and other news, click
TOP/MTL or GOL
MARKET NEWS
* Stock markets worldwide fell on Tuesday after weak Chinese
and British factory data rekindled fears of slowing global
growth, sending benchmark Treasury yields to nearly two-week
lows. MKTS/GLOB
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
0645 France Trade data Mar
0750 France Markit services PMI Apr
0755 Germany Markit services PMI Apr
0800 Euro zone Markit services PMI Apr
0900 Euro zone Retail sales Mar
1215 U.S. ADP national employment Apr
1230 U.S. International trade Mar
1230 U.S. Labor costs Q1
1400 U.S. Factory orders Mar
1400 U.S. ISM non-manufacturing PMI Apr
PRICES AT 0033 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg
Spot gold 1285.19 -0.41 -0.03
Spot silver 17.44 0.024 0.14
Spot platinum 1060.49 -0.51 -0.05
Spot palladium 606 0.25 0.04
Comex gold 1287.2 -4.6 -0.36
Comex silver 17.49 -0.009 -0.05
COMEX gold and silver contracts show the
most active months