FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was flat at $1,994.85 per ounce, as of 0027 GMT. U.S. gold futures were also unchanged at $2,006.50.
* Gold prices fell to their lowest in nearly two weeks on Monday after data showing manufacturing activity in New York state increasing for the first time in five months fuelled bets of a 25-basis-point rate hike by the Fed at its May meeting, and boosted U.S. Treasury yields and the dollar.
* The CME FedWatch tool shows markets are pricing in a 91% chance of a 25 basis-point hike in May.
* Other data on Monday showed confidence among U.S. single-family homebuilders improved for a fourth straight month in April.
* Investors will keep a close eye on comments from Fed
officials this week before they enter into a blackout period
from April 22 ahead of the Fed's May 2-3 meeting.
* Gold is considered a hedge against inflation and economic
uncertainties, but higher interest rates dim non-yielding
bullion's appeal.
* SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed
exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.22% to 925.70
tonnes on Monday from 927.72 tonnes on Friday.
* Spot silver dipped 0.4% to $25.01 per ounce,
platinum edged up 0.1% to $1,049.13 and palladium was up 0.1% at $1,561.36.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0200 China Urban Investment (YTD) YY March 0200 China Retail Sales YY March 0200 China GDP YY Q1 0200 China Unemp Rate Urban Area March 0600 UK Claimant Count Unemp Chng March 0600 UK ILO Unemployment Rate Feb 0600 UK HMRC Payrolls Change March 0900 Germany ZEW Economic Sentiment April 0900 Germany ZEW Current Conditions April 1230 US Housing Starts Number March (Reporting by Kavya Guduru in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh Venkateshwaran)
