BENGALURU, July 20 (Reuters) - Gold was little changed in Asian trade on Wednesday, as bullion gleaned little impetus from weaker equities as the dollar rose to a four-month high on the back of better than expected U.S. housing data.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was up 0.1 percent at $1,332.87 an ounce at 0056 GMT. It closed at $1,331.73 on Tuesday.
* U.S. gold GCcv1 was up 0.1 percent at $1,333.30 an ounce.
* Gold has risen over 25 percent this year, hitting its highest since March 2014 at $1,374.91 earlier this month.
* Asian stocks stepped back early on Wednesday after a record run on Wall Street showed signs of petering out. MKTS/GLOB
* MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS fell 0.2 percent, putting some distance between a nine-month high struck late last week.
* U.S. housing starts rose more than expected in June as construction activity increased broadly, but downward revisions to the prior months' data pointed to a sector treading water in the second quarter. The dollar firmed in early Asian trading on Wednesday, as strong U.S. data and rising expectations that the Bank of Japan will muster additional easing steps sent the dollar index to four-month highs. Global investors, fretting over economic growth and Brexit, have cut equity allocations to underweight for the first time in four years while raising cash to the highest in almost 15 years, a Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) Merill Lynch survey showed on Tuesday. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) cut its global growth forecasts for the next two years on Tuesday, citing uncertainty over Britain's looming exit from the European Union. South Africa's Impala Platinum (Implats) IMPJ.J has extended the tenure and amount of its existing debt facilities from certain local banking institutions in order to further strengthen its balance sheet, it said on Tuesday. For the top stories on metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or GOL
MARKET REPORT
* Oil futures rose in early Asian trading on Wednesday after an industry group released weekly figures showing U.S. stockpiles fell more than expected last week. ahead (GMT)
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