FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold traded flat at $2,621.19 per ounce, as of 0057 GMT. U.S. gold futures eased 0.3% to $2,637.00.
* Data on Friday showed monthly inflation in the U.S. slowed in November after little improvement in recent months. The personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index rose 0.1% last month after an unrevised 0.2% gain in October.
* San Francisco Federal Reserve President Mary Daly and two other Fed policymakers on Friday said they felt the central bank would likely resume rate cuts next year but take their time given that the “recalibration phase” was over. * The Fed’s 25-basis-points reduction on Dec. 18 and the cautious note struck by its economic projections and expectations of fewer cuts in 2025 pushed gold to its lowest since Nov. 18 last week.
* The Russian central bank kept key interest rate on hold at 21% on Friday to surprise the market, which had expected a 2-percentage-point increase, and said that the recent tightening created conditions for inflation to fall towards its target.
* Higher rates dull non-yielding bullion’s appeal.
* Meanwhile, COMEX gold speculators cut net long position by 16,251 contracts to 203,937 in the week to Dec. 17, data showed on Friday.
* In India, gold’s demand remained subdued last week as volatile prices prompted potential buyers to delay purchases, while higher rates in China are expected to potentially offset upcoming seasonal demand.
* Spot silver climbed 0.3% to $29.59 per ounce and platinum rose 0.4% to $929.83, while palladium eased 0.9% to $912.21.
