March 15 (Reuters) - Gold prices gained on Monday as the
passage of a U.S. stimulus bill stoked inflation risks, although
a resultant bounce in Treasury yields kept gains in check.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= rose 0.3% to $1,732.02 per ounce by 0134
GMT, while U.S. gold futures GCv1 for April delivery rose 0.7%
to $1,730.90 per ounce.
* Yields on benchmark 10-year notes held near their highest
in more than a year on continued U.S. economic optimism after a
$1.9 trillion recovery package was signed into law last week.
US/ * Gold is generally considered a hedge against inflation,
although higher bond yields have challenged that status recently
as they increase the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding
bullion.
* U.S. producer prices increased strongly in February,
leading to the largest annual gain in nearly 2-1/2 years, data
showed on Friday. * The number of Americans filing new jobless claims fell to
a four-month low last week, while the U.S. market morale rose to
its highest in a year in early March. * Investors piled into equities, while pulling money out of
gold and bonds in the week up to March 10, data from BofA Global
Research showed. * SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest gold-backed
exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.3% to 1,052.07
tonnes on Friday from 1,055.27 tonnes on Thursday. GOL/ETF
* Hedge funds and money managers slashed their bullish
positions in COMEX gold and silver contracts in the week to
March 9, data showed said on Friday. * Silver XAG= rose 0.9% to $26.14, platinum XPT= rose 1%
to $1,217.37, while palladium XPD= fell 0.1% to $2,369.17.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0200 China Urban Investment (YTD) YY Feb
0200 China Industrial Output YY Feb
0200 China Retail Sales YY Feb
1100 EU Reserve Assets Total Feb
1400 Euro zone finance ministers meet