Aug 24 (Reuters) - Gold slipped on Monday as the dollar
steadied near a more than one-week high, while investors awaited
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech at Jackson Hole
later this week for clarity on the direction of U.S. monetary
policy.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was down 0.3% to $1,933.37 per ounce by
0046 GMT after hitting a one-week low of $1,910.99 on Friday.
* U.S. gold futures GCv1 fell 0.4% to $1,910.10.
* The dollar index .DXY held steady against a basket of
major currencies after climbing to a more than one-week high in
the previous session. USD/
* Powell will discuss monetary policy on Thursday at the
opening day of the Kansas City Fed's annual symposium.
* Top Democrats and Republicans blamed each other for
stalled talks on coronavirus aid legislation on Sunday, a day
after the House of Representatives approved $25 billion in new
funds for the U.S. Postal Service. * More than 23.31 million people have been reported to be
infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 805,075 have
died, according to a Reuters tally. * The U.S. Food & Drug Administration on Sunday said it
authorised the use of blood plasma from patients who have
recovered from COVID-19 as a treatment for the disease.
* Asian shares eased on Monday as investors treaded
cautiously on heady valuations. MKTS/GLOB
* Speculators raised their bullish positions in COMEX gold
and silver contracts in the week to Aug. 18, the U.S. Commodity
Futures Trading Commission said on Friday. CFTC/
* Physical gold dealers in India last week offered the
highest discounts in more than a month and a half, as buyers
stayed away even as more bullion flowed in from the United Arab
Emirates. GOL/AS
* Silver XAG= dropped 0.6% to $26.54 per ounce, platinum
XPT= slipped 0.5% to $913.78, and palladium XPD= fell 0.4%
to $2,173.32.