PRECIOUS-Gold extends gains on softer dollar after U.S. data

* Gold extends Friday's 1 percent rise
* U.S. rate hike outlook to continue to weigh on prices

(Updates prices; adds comment, second byline, NEW YORK
dateline)
By Marcy Nicholson and Clara Denina
NEW YORK/LONDON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Gold rose more than 1
percent on Monday as weaker than expected U.S. data and
uncertainty about how fast the Federal Reserve will tighten
interest rates next year weighed on the dollar.
A renewed slump in crude oil to its lowest levels since 2004
was seen as curbing gold's ascent in the near term. The metal is
usually seen as a hedge against oil-led inflation. O/R
Spot gold XAU= rose 1.2 percent to $1,078.49 an ounce by
1:58 p.m. EST (1758 GMT), following a 1.4 percent gain on
Friday. U.S. futures for February delivery GCcv1 settled up
1.5 percent at $1,080.60 an ounce.
Liquidity is expected to drop as trading enters the last two
weeks of the year, when many will be away from their desks for
the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
"(A) good short-covering rally continues for the short
holiday week," said George Gero, precious metals strategist for
RBC Capital Markets in New York.
"The double bottom of the Dec. 3 (low) below $1,050 may
become a technical factor."
The metal saw bids on Monday as the dollar fell after data
from the Chicago Federal Reserve suggested that the U.S. economy
grew at a below average pace in November before the U.S. central
bank raised interest rates last week. FRX/
"We understand the bearishness before the start of the
interest rate hiking cycle," Commerzbank (DE:CBKG) analyst Eugen Weinberg
said, adding that the metal was unlikely to fall further in the
short term as the first rate rise was out of the way.
However, the outlook for the dollar remains strong on higher
U.S. rates.
"The dollar will continue to be a drag for gold next year,"
Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn) analyst Michael Hsueh said.
"We have a view that we'll get 3 to 4 25-basis point U.S.
rate hikes in 2016, bringing the 10-year real rate lower,
although ... the yield curve is expected to ease a bit, but
still not making it easy for gold," he added. "We are targeting
$980 for the fourth quarter next year."
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yield US10YT=RR
steadied at 2.2 percent. As gold pays no interest, firm returns
from U.S. bonds and other markets is seen as negative for the
metal.
Assets in SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the top gold-backed
exchange-traded fund, rose 2.98 percent to 648.92 tonnes on
Friday, the first increase in two months.
Total holdings had fallen to a seven-year low last week.
GOL/ETF
Silver XAG= rose 1.6 percent to $14.29 an ounce, while
palladium XPD= dropped 0.4 percent to $553 and platinum XPT=
gained 1.5 percent to $871.