June 27 (Reuters) - Gold traded steady on Thursday after the
previous session's sharp fall, as investors looked forward to
trade talks between Washington and Beijing later this week in
Japan.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was mostly unchanged at $1,408.92 per
ounce as of 0107 GMT. Prices fell more than 1% in the previous
session after U.S. Federal Reserve officials dented expectations
of aggressive interest rate cuts.
* Gold prices hit a six-year peak of $1,438.63 on Tuesday.
* U.S. gold futures GCv1 were 0.2% lower at $1,412.80 an
ounce.
* U.S. President Donald Trump said a trade deal with Chinese
President Xi Jinping was possible this weekend but he is
prepared to impose U.S. tariffs on virtually all remaining
Chinese imports if the two countries continue to disagree.
* Trump accused Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday of
doing a "bad job" and "out to prove how tough he is," but any
move to oust him would likely touch off a legal fight with big
repercussions in financial markets as well. * On Tuesday, Powell said the central bank was "insulated
from short-term political pressures," pushing back against
Trump's demand for a significant rate cut. * Trump also said that he was "not talking boots on the
ground" should he take military action against Iran and that he
had "unlimited time" to try to forge an agreement with Tehran.
* The dollar index .DXY was relatively unchanged on
Thursday, moving away from three-month lows, as traders dialled
back expectations of aggressive interest rate cuts. USD/
* Asian markets were busy going nowhere on Thursday as
confusion shrouded the chances of any progress in the Sino-U.S.
trade standoff, while bulls scaled back wagers for a drastic cut
in U.S. interest rates. MKTS/GLOB
* Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 0.22% to 797.85 tonnes on
Wednesday from 799.61 tonnes on Tuesday. GOL/ETF
* Bitcoin jumped to an 18-month high on Wednesday, as
investors looked for safety in alternative investments amid
geopolitical tension. AHEAD (GMT)
* 0900 EU Consumer Confid. Final June
* 1230 US GDP Final Q1
* 1230 US Initial Jobless Claims Weekly