Dec 19 (Reuters) - Gold prices inched up on Thursday after
the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President
Donald Trump on articles of abuse of power and obstruction of
Congress.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was up 0.1% at $1,477.15 per ounce, as of
0152 GMT. U.S. gold futures GCv1 were up 0.2% at $1,481.30 per
ounce.
* Trump became the third U.S. president to be impeached as
the House formally charged him with abuse of power and
obstruction of Congress in a historic step that will inflame
partisan tensions across a deeply divided America. * The House action sets the stage for a trial next month in
the Republican-controlled Senate on whether to convict him and
remove him from office.
* The dollar .DXY eased against a basket of currencies,
making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies. USD/
* Two U.S. central bankers on Wednesday said the U.S.
economy is in good shape after three interest-rate cuts this
year, underscoring the consensus at the Federal Reserve for
keeping borrowing costs where they are for the time being.
* Prior to the impeachment vote, Asian shares edged higher
on positive global growth outlook followed by improving economic
indicators. MKTS/GLOB
* Holdings of the world's largest gold-backed
exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust GLD , rose 0.3% to 883.29
tonnes on Wednesday. GOL/ETF
* India, world's second-biggest gold consumer, has
restricted imports of gold and silver in the powder and
unwrought forms, the government said in a notification.
* Elsewhere, palladium XPD= edged up 0.1% to $1,924.97 per
ounce. The metal prices had hit an all-time peak of $1,998.43 on
Tuesday.
* Palladium prices are close to breaking above $2,000 an
ounce for the first time, with a gaping supply deficit fuelling
a remarkable run that has seen the autocatalyst metal more than
quadruple in value since 2016. * Silver XAG= rose 0.2% to $17.03 per ounce, while
platinum XPT= fell 0.2% to $933.34.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0745 France Business Climate Mfg Dec
0930 UK Retail Sales MM, YY Nov
0930 UK Retail Sales Ex-Fuel MM Nov
1200 UK BOE Bank Rate Dec
1200 UK GB BOE QE Corp Dec
1330 US Initial Jobless Claims Weekly
1330 US Philly Fed Business Indx Dec
1500 US Existing Home Sales Nov