Nov 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices ticked higher on Monday in early Asian trade, supported by a weaker dollar and hopes of further U.S. stimulus aimed at cushioning the economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= rose 0.1% to $1,872.96 per ounce by 0059 GMT.
* U.S. gold futures GCv1 were steady at $1,871.70.
* The dollar index .DXY was down 0.1%.
* U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday signalled that negotiations on stimulus measures would continue, even as he defended his decision to end several of the Federal Reserve's pandemic lending programs on Dec. 31. U.S. healthcare workers and others recommended for the nation's first COVID-19 inoculations could start getting shots within a day or two of regulatory consent next month, a top health official said on Sunday. Leaders of the 20 biggest economies vowed on Sunday to spare no effort to supply COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines affordably and fairly to "all people". A festival-led buying spree continued in India's retail gold market last week, though premiums eased slightly from a week ago and sales volumes were seen as lower year-on-year. Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.24% to 1,220.17 tonnes on Friday. Speculators raised their bullish positions in COMEX gold and silver contracts in the week to Nov. 17, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. Silver XAG= firmed 0.4% to $24.24 per ounce. Platinum XPT= fell 0.3% to $943.21, while palladium XPD= was up 0.1% at $2,329.01.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0815 France Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0830 Germany Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0900 EU
Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0930 UK
Flash, Composite, Mfg, Serv PMIs
1445 US
Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs