PRECIOUS-Gold slides 1% after Fed cuts rates, but policy outlook uncertain

* U.S. Fed cuts rates for a second time this year
* Focus now on Bank of Japan on Thursday
* Oil prices ease after surge on Saudi attack

(Adds comments, updates prices)
By Asha Sistla and Swati Verma
Sept 18 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell over 1% to a one-week
low on Wednesday, pulled down by a lack of clarity on future
monetary policy decisions after a widely anticipated interest
rate cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The U.S. central bank went ahead with an expected interest
rate cut of 25-basis points for the second time this year, but
gave mixed signals about what may happen next. Spot gold XAU= dropped to $1,487.35 per ounce at 02:50
p.m. EDT (1850 GMT). U.S. gold futures GCcv1 settled up over
$2, or 0.2%, at $1,515.80.
"Gold retreated $10 from just before the release as the Fed
slightly disappointed the market as only 7 out of 17 members saw
one more rate cut by the end of this year," said Tai Wong, head
of base and precious metals derivatives trading at BMO.
"The projections for 2020/21 were also measured and long
term view remains unchanged," Wong added.
Lower interest rates decrease the opportunity cost of
holding non-yielding bullion.
The dollar index .DXY gained 0.4% versus major currencies,
further pressuring the precious metal. USD/
Investors are now focused on the Bank of Japan's policy
meeting on Thursday. Meanwhile, safe-haven buying of bullion was limited when
oil prices slid after Saudi Arabia said it would restore crude
production hit by attacks on facilities that prompted oil prices
to spike earlier this week. O/R
Gold is considered a hedge against oil-led inflation.
Among other precious metals, silver XAG= fell 2.3% to
$17.60 an ounce, while platinum XPT= fell about 2% to $924.40.
Palladium XPD= fell 0.9% to $1,584.06 after it hit a
record of $1,626.81 on Monday.
"(In terms of) overall fundamentals for palladium, we have a
significant deficit that has to be financed from above ground
stocks, with the prospect of increased supply limited," said
James Steel, chief precious metals analyst at HSBC.
"Mine supply in the short term cannot respond to the high
price so we have to mobilize above ground stocks and the
(palladium) market consequently is tight. So we do get periodic
profit-taking and we've had a spate of negative news from the
auto industry but despite that, it's tight."