Nov 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices ticked higher on Monday in
early Asian trade, supported by a weaker dollar and hopes of
further U.S. stimulus aimed at cushioning the economic blow from
the COVID-19 pandemic.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= rose 0.1% to $1,872.96 per ounce by 0059
GMT.
* U.S. gold futures GCv1 were steady at $1,871.70.
* The dollar index .DXY was down 0.1%.
* U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Friday signalled
that negotiations on stimulus measures would continue, even as
he defended his decision to end several of the Federal Reserve's
pandemic lending programs on Dec. 31. * U.S. healthcare workers and others recommended for the
nation's first COVID-19 inoculations could start getting shots
within a day or two of regulatory consent next month, a top
health official said on Sunday. * Leaders of the 20 biggest economies vowed on Sunday to
spare no effort to supply COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines
affordably and fairly to "all people". * A festival-led buying spree continued in India's retail
gold market last week, though premiums eased slightly from a
week ago and sales volumes were seen as lower year-on-year.
* Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.24% to 1,220.17 tonnes
on Friday. * Speculators raised their bullish positions in COMEX gold
and silver contracts in the week to Nov. 17, the U.S. Commodity
Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Friday. * Silver XAG= firmed 0.4% to $24.24 per ounce. Platinum
XPT= fell 0.3% to $943.21, while palladium XPD= was up 0.1%
at $2,329.01.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0815 France Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0830 Germany Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0900 EU Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs
0930 UK Flash, Composite, Mfg, Serv PMIs
1445 US Markit Mfg, Serv, Comp Flash PMIs