PRECIOUS-Gold slips on firmer dollar, vaccine rollout

(Updates prices)
* Britain to begin Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine rollout this week
* Gold's major barrier for recovery at $1,850 an ounce -
analyst
* Interactive graphic tracking global spread of coronavirus:
open
* https://tmsnrt.rs/3aIRuz7 in an external browser

By Asha Sistla
Dec 7 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell on Monday on overall
optimism over this week's coronavirus vaccine rollout in Britain
and as the dollar bounced off a multi-year low.
Spot gold prices XAU= were 0.4% lower at $1,830.80 per
ounce by 1210 GMT, while U.S. gold futures GCv1 were down 0.3%
to $1,834.70.
"The European session is focused on the Brexit negotiations,
which are apparently not running as smoothly as expected, and
that's why we're seeing gold coming down as the dollar
strengthened against the euro," said Saxo Bank analyst Ole
Hansen. EUR=
A Brexit deal hung in the balance as Britain and the
European Union made a last-ditch attempt to strike a trade deal
that would avoid a disorderly exit in just 24 days. The dollar index bounced off near 2-1/2-year lows, making
gold expensive for holders of other currencies. USD/
Also, Britain was set to become the first country to roll
out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week. "The next few trading sessions will tell us how strong the
resistance area of $1,850 is, which is the first clear barrier
for further recoveries for the yellow metal," ActivTrades' chief
analyst Carlo Alberto De Casa said in a note.
Gold is still up by around a fifth so far this year,
benefitting from being considered a hedge against inflation that
could result from the large stimulus measures unleashed in 2020.
"The (U.S.) jobs report on Friday wasn't that strong either,
so if we do get a breakthrough in the stimulus talk in the U.S.,
then that potentially could jolt gold prices through that
resistance level," Saxo Bank's Ole said.
Data on Friday showed the U.S. economy added the fewest jobs
in six months in November, after which President-elect Joe Biden
highlighted the need for a coronavirus relief bill. Silver XAG= fell 1.6% to $23.77 per ounce, platinum XPT=
dropped 3.6% to $1,016.98 and palladium XPD= was down 0.5% at
$2,330.92.