Jan 17 (Reuters) - Gold edged lower on Friday, on track to
post its worst week in two months, as positive U.S. economic
data and optimism over an interim U.S.-China trade deal boosted
appetite for riskier assets and dented some of bullion's allure.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= edged 0.1% lower to $1,550.96 per ounce
by 0118 GMT. For the week, prices have declined 0.7% so far,
it's lowest since the week ended Nov. 8. U.S. gold futures
GCv1 was flat at $1,550.80.
* Asian equities rose on the back of global stocks and Wall
Street scaling new records, on encouraging U.S. economic data
and strong corporate earnings. MKTS/GLOB
* Data from the United States showed retail sales rose for a
third straight month in December and the number of Americans
filing claims for unemployment benefits dropped for a fifth
straight week last week. * A gauge of manufacturing activity in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic
region rebounded in January to its highest in eight months.
* Investors are now awaiting Chinese economic data, where
China is expected to post that economic growth slowed to its
weakest in nearly three decades in 2019 amid a bruising trade
war with the United States. * Meanwhile, from Huawei to the South China Sea, deep
political rifts between Beijing and Washington are set to
persist, despite a trade relations breakthrough, as the U.S.
pushes back against an increasingly powerful and assertive
China. * Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed
exchange-traded fund SPDR Gold Trust GLD rose 0.13% to 879.49
tonnes on Thursday. GOL/ETF
* Canadian miner Barrick Gold Corp's fourth-quarter gold
production estimates came above analysts' expectations on
Thursday, as its Nevada Gold Mines joint venture with Newmont
Corp yielded more of the precious metal. * Palladium XPD= advanced 0.4% to $2,321.67 an ounce after
hitting a record peak of $2,395.13 on Thursday and was set for
its highest weekly gain since January 2017.
* Silver XAG= fell 0.2% to $17.91 per ounce, while
platinum XPT= rose 0.3% to $1,007.52, after hitting its
highest since February 2017 at $1,041.05 in the previous
session.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0200 China Urban Investment (YTD) YY Dec
0200 China Industrial Output YY Dec
0200 China Retail Sales YY Dec
0200 China GDP YY Dec
0930 UK Retail Sales MM, YY Dec
0930 UK Retail Sales Ex-Fuel MM Dec
1000 EU HICP Final MM, YY Dec
1330 US Housing Starts Number Dec
1415 US Industrial Production Dec
1300 US U Mich Sentiment Prelim Jan