PRECIOUS-Gold falls on firm yields, dollar; U.S. inflation data in focus

* U.S. 10-year Treasury yields hit over 1-week high
* U.S. consumer price data due at 1230 GMT
* U.S. job openings hit record high in March

(Adds comment, updates prices)
By Shreyansi Singh
May 12 (Reuters) - Gold prices slipped on Wednesday, weighed
down by higher U.S. Treasury yields and a slight rebound in the
dollar ahead of the much-awaited U.S. consumer price data due
later in the day.
Spot gold XAU= was down 0.3% at $1,832.05 per ounce by
0646 GMT. U.S. gold futures GCv1 eased 0.1% to $1,833.60.
"The dollar has strengthened a little bit ... if the
inflation rate is higher than expected, it could encourage
central banks to consider tightening their monetary policies
faster than expected," said Margaret Yang, a strategist at
DailyFX.
The dollar index .DXY was up 0.2%, making gold less
appealing for other currency holders. USD/
Concerns of a potential acceleration in inflation dragged
down the U.S. currency to a more than two-month low in the
previous session and drove Asian shares to two-month lows
earlier on Wednesday. MKTS/GLOB
The U.S. consumer price data due at 1230 GMT is keenly
awaited by market participants to gauge inflationary pressure.
Benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury yields US10YT=RR scaled a
more than one-week peak, increasing the opportunity cost of
holding gold.
Some investors view gold as a hedge against higher inflation
that could follow stimulus measures, but higher Treasury yields
have weighed on non-yielding bullion's appeal this year.
"The 200-day moving average at $1851 an ounce remains
formidable resistance, but gold now has clear support at $1820
an ounce," OANDA senior market analyst Jeffrey Halley said in a
note.
Fed officials grappled on Tuesday with April's unexpectedly
weak employment growth, maintaining faith in the U.S. economic
recovery but acknowledging the pace of the jobs recovery may
prove choppier than anticipated. Data on Tuesday showed U.S. job openings surged to a record
in March, reiterating that a shortage of workers was hampering
job growth. Palladium XPD= rose 0.5% to $2,951.60 per ounce. Silver
XAG= slipped 0.7% to $27.45 per ounce, while platinum XPT=
fell 0.2% to $1,233.01.