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PRECIOUS-Gold steadies as Trump says North Korea talks may still go ahead

Published 2018-05-25, 10:54 a/m
Updated 2018-05-25, 10:54 a/m
© Reuters.  PRECIOUS-Gold steadies as Trump says North Korea talks may still go ahead

© Reuters. PRECIOUS-Gold steadies as Trump says North Korea talks may still go ahead

* Spot gold up 0.9 percent on the week

* Dollar rises to new 2018 high, pressuring gold

* Prices likely to move lower -analyst

By Peter Hobson

LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) - Gold prices steadied on Friday after Donald Trump said a meeting with North Korea's leader could still go ahead, easing concerns that had driven gold above $1,300 an ounce the previous session when the U.S. president said the meeting was off.

Spot gold XAU= was down 0.1 percent at $1,303.3 an ounce at 1446 GMT and on track for a weekly gain of 0.9 percent, its biggest since March.

U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for June delivery were also 0.1 percent lower at $1,302.60.

Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke said the uncertainty over the U.S.-North Korea meeting was likely to have only a temporary impact on gold, traditionally used as a safe place to park assets in times of instability.

"This is pretty typical for these kinds of geopolitical jitters. Very short-term sharp reaction, then a lack of follow through, given that this basically does not have any implication for the global economy or financial markets," he said.

"Based on this pattern and on gold's very tight relationship with the U.S. dollar, this uplift in price should be temporary and we should fall back below $1,300 an ounce."

Gold tends to move higher when the U.S. dollar weakens because this makes dollar-priced bullion cheaper for buyers with other currencies.

But after losing ground on Thursday the dollar strengthened to a new 2018 high, helped by a North Korean statement that it was open to resolving issues with the United States, comments that were welcomed by Trump. .DXY USD/

Global shares also steadied, reducing the clamour for gold as a safer asset. MKTS/GLOB

On the technical side, resistance was at gold's 200-day moving average around $1,307, with Fibonacci support at $1,286.80, ScotiaMocatta analysts said.

Investors were focused on the psychologically important $1,300 level, MKS trader Samuel Laughlin said. "We look to (this) key level as a pivot point for near-term price action," he said.

Gold had been trading in a range between about $1,310 and $1,360 since hitting a 1-1/2 year high in January but was pushed lower this month by a strengthening dollar and rising U.S. bond yields, which reduce the appeal of non-yielding gold. USD/ US/

In other precious metals, silver XAG= was down 0.9 percent at $16.48 an ounce, on track for a weekly gain of 0.4 percent.

Platinum XPT= was 0.8 percent lower at $901.70, up 2.1 percent on the week, while palladium XPD= was down 0.4 percent at $970.50 and set for a weekly gain of 0.8 percent.

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