FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold gained 0.2% to $1,942.56 per ounce by 0130 GMT, looking set for a more than 1% weekly gain after prices touched one-month highs on Wednesday. U.S. gold futures climbed 0.2% to $1,969.40.
* U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar were set to end the week lower, making gold attractive for other currency holders.
* U.S. consumer spending increased by the most in six months in July, but slowing monthly inflation rates cemented expectations that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged next month.
* Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic laid out a case on Thursday against any further U.S. interest rate hikes, saying monetary policy is already tight enough to bring inflation back down to 2% over a “reasonable” period.
* Euro zone inflation held steady in August but underlying price growth fell as expected, a mixed picture that complicates life for the European Central Bank. * Japan’s factory activity shrank for a third straight month in August, a survey showed on Friday.
* Impala Platinum Chief Executive said a rapid decline in palladium and rhodium prices that has squeezed profits, lowered dividend payouts and shifted the focus to cutting costs caught platinum miners off guard.
* Other precious metals were on track for weekly gains as well. Spot silver added 0.4% to $24.53 per ounce, platinum rose 0.3% to $970.23 and palladium jumped 1.6% to $1,233.63.
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