Dec 15 (Reuters) - Gold prices were little changed on
Tuesday as investors took stock of surging COVID-19 cases,
vaccines inoculations and negotiations over a U.S. coronavirus
fiscal relief package.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was steady at $1,826.68 per ounce by 0118
GMT, while U.S. gold futures GCv1 eased 0.1% to $1,829.70.
* COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States began on Monday
with a New York City intensive care unit nurse becoming the
first to receive the vaccine, while Canada also began injecting
frontline healthcare workers and elderly nursing home residents.
* Meanwhile, coronavirus deaths in the United States crossed
300,000 on Monday, according to a Reuters tally.
* Coronavirus infections continued to surge globally,
prompting tighter restrictions and lockdowns in the Netherlands,
Germany and London. * Market participants also kept a close watch on U.S.
Congressional talks over a fiscal coronavirus stimulus package,
with both parties attempting to reach a deal split into two
parts on Monday. * Leaders of both parties appeared more upbeat over a
pandemic relief aid bill likely to be attached to a critical
spending measure that must be passed by Friday to avert a
government shutdown.
* Gold is seen as a hedge against inflation and currency
debasement.
* Investors now await policy meetings of the U.S. Federal
Reserve starting on Tuesday and the Bank of England on Thursday.
* Britain remains hopeful over reaching a trade agreement
with the European Union but there are still gaps on key issues,
a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday.
* Holdings in the SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 0.4% to 1,171.32 tonnes
on Monday. * Silver XAG= rose 0.2% to $23.87 an ounce. Platinum XPT=
fell 0.1% to $1,006.54 and palladium XPD= gained 0.2% to
$2,296.98.
DATA AHEAD(GMT)
0200 China Nov. Retail sales
0200 China Nov. Industrial Output