Sept 8 (Reuters) - Gold held steady early on Thursday, after dipping 0.3 percent in the prior session, as the dollar slipped and investors awaited cues on monetary stimulus from a European Central Bank policy meeting due later in the day.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,346.40 an ounce by 0105 GMT.
* U.S. gold futures GCcv1 were steady at $1,350.60.
* The euro zone economy is widely expected to need more stimulus from the European Central Bank, but it may not come at the bank's policy meeting on Thursday. The case for a U.S. interest rate increase will be strong when Federal Reserve policymakers meet later this month, Richmond Fed President Jeffrey Lacker said on Wednesday. The U.S. labor market could already be at full strength, Kansas City Federal Reserve President Esther George said on Wednesday. Raising U.S. interest rates makes sense now that the economy is at full employment and "within sight" of the central bank's 2-percent inflation goal, San Francisco Fed President John Williams said on Tuesday. The U.S. economy expanded at a modest pace in July and August, the Federal Reserve said on Wednesday, but there was little sign that wage pressures are being felt beyond highly skilled jobs. The dollar index .DXY , which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was down about 0.1 percent at 94.887
* Turning fortunes for gold pushed withdrawals from U.S.-based commodity funds to their highest levels since April, Investment Company Institute data for the latest week showed on Wednesday. Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 0.03 percent to 951.81 tonnes on Wednesday. GOL/ETF
* SocGen on Wednesday raised platinum and palladium price forecasts. China's gold reserves rose to 58.95 million fine troy ounces (oz) at the end of August, from 58.79 million fine troy ounces at the end of July, the central bank said on Wednesday. IEX Group, which rose to prominence with its bid to shake up stock trading in the United States, now aims to do the same in the more than $5 trillion-a-year gold market with a new exchange being created by its spinoff TradeWind Markets, a board member of the new venture said on Tuesday. For the top stories on metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or GOL
DATA AHEAD (GMT
China Trade data August
1145 European Central Bank announces policy meeting outcome
1230 U.S. Weekly jobless claims
1900 U.S Consumer credit July