July 4 (Reuters) - Gold prices were steady on Thursday after hitting a one-week high in the previous session, as gains in stock markets offset support from a weaker dollar and prospects of an interest rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was broadly unchanged at $1,418.60 per ounce at 0119 GMT. Prices touched $1,435.99 on Wednesday, the highest since June 25.
* U.S. gold futures GCv1 were up 0.1% at $1,421.7 an ounce.
* The dollar was trading near a one-week low versus the yen as falling Treasury yields fuelled expectations of Fed cutting interest rates at its July 30-31 meeting. Meanwhile, Asian stocks advanced tracking sharp gains on Wall Street. USD/ US/N MKTS/GLOB
* The U.S. trade deficit jumped in May and trade tensions between the U.S. and China helped drive activity in the services sector to a two-year low in June, further signs that economic growth slowed sharply in the second quarter. Euro zone business activity picked up slightly last month but remained weak as a modest but broad-based upturn in the services industry offset a continued deep downturn in factory output, a survey showed. The U.S. economy is expanding at a 1.3% annualized rate in the second quarter based on the latest figures on trade balance and factory orders, the Atlanta Federal Reserve's GDPNow forecast model showed on Wednesday. Top representatives from the U.S. and China are arranging to resume talks next week to try to resolve a year-long trade war between the world's two largest economies, Trump administration officials said on Wednesday. President Donald Trump warned Iran on Wednesday against making threats that can "come back to bite you like nobody has been bitten before," after Tehran announced it would breach a 2015 nuclear deal. European Union governments' surprise nominee for president of their executive, Germany's Ursula von der Leyen, sought support in the bloc's parliament on Wednesday, hoping to secure the confirmation she will need in two weeks' time. The Bank of Japan does not need to ramp up monetary stimulus for now as a moderate recovery is expected later in the year, board member Yukitoshi Funo said on Wednesday. Russia's central bank has been buying gold on the domestic market at less than the industry benchmark to encourage Russian producers to export more of the metal, the governor told Reuters. Weakening global economic growth, lacklustre demand and huge stockpiles mean silver prices are unlikely to join gold in rocketing to new highs, analysts say. U.S. markets will remain shut on Thursday for Independence Day holiday.
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
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EU
Retails Sales MM YY
May