RPT-PRECIOUS-Gold steady, ETF holdings stay at record

                                
 (Repeats to fix format)
                                
 TOKYO, June 3 (Reuters) - Gold was steady on Wednesday at
just over $980 per ounce, with a weakening U.S. dollar supporting
demand for bullion as a hedge against deterioration of
dollar-denominated portfolios.
                                
 FUNDAMENTALS
                                
 * Gold <XAU=> was at $981.30 at 0008 GMT, up 0.1 percent from
New York's notional close of $980.85 on Tuesday, when it rose as
high as $986.40, off a three-month high above $988 marked on
Monday.
                                
 * U.S. gold futures for August delivery <GCQ9> fell 0.1
percent to $983.60 per ounce from Tuesday's $984.40 settlement on
the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
                                
 * The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the
SPDR Gold Trust <GLD>, said its holdings stayed unchanged on June
2 from a record 1,134.03 tonnes marked the previous day.
[GOL/SPDR]
                                
 * The world's largest silver-backed exchange-traded fund, the
iShares Silver Trust <SLV>, said its bullion holdings fell 3.11
tonnes from a record 8,608.54 tonnes on Monday, when it rose by
260.36 tonnes. [ID:nT100072]
                                
 * Gold and gold receivables held by euro zone central banks
fell by 6 million euros to 240.784 billion euros in the week
ending May 29, the ECB said on Tuesday. [ID:nFAE003057]
                                
 MARKET NEWS
                                
 * The dollar stayed near a low for the year versus the euro
after strong U.S. housing sales data the previous day fuelled
optimism about the global economy, eroding safe-haven demand for
the dollar. [USD/] [ID:nN02504191]
                                
 * U.S. stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Tuesday as an
upbeat report on home sales bolstered hopes for an economic
recovery as well as shares in construction companies. [.N]
                                
 * Japan's benchmark Nikkei average <.N225> was 0.6 percent
higher. [.T]
                                
 DATA EVENTS
                                
 - Fed Chairman Bernanke testifies (1400 GMT)
                                
 * The following data is expected on Wednesday: <ECON>
                                
 - Australia Q1 GDP (0130 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone May final Markit services PMI (0758 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone Q1 revised GDP (0900 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone Apirl PPI (0900 GMT)
                                
 - U.S. ADP employment report for May (1215 GMT)
                                
 - U.S. factory orders for April (1400 GMT)
                                
 - U.S. ISM non-manufacturing for May (1400 GMT)
                                
 RELATED NEWS
 > US, Japan, Germany see more positive signs     [ID:nSP470185]
 > Credit Suisse suggests Gold ETF call spread   [ID:nN02493260]
 > Commodities markets ease on profit-taking          [COM/WRAP]
 > S.Africa miners to decide any protest by yr-end[ID:nL21006490]
 > Palladium miner sees price, demand rising      [ID:nN02142125]
 > A little hope a dangerous things for comms     [ID:nSP392747]
                                
 PRICES
                                
 Precious metals prices at 0012
  Metal         Last      Change  Pct chg  Day ago pct  MA 30 RSI
 Spot gold     $981.20    $0.35  +0.04%    +9.39%    $860.10   77
 Spot silver    $15.96    $0.02  +0.13%   +33.22%     $11.29   82
 Spot plat    $1234.00   -$4.50  -0.36%    +2.11%   $1139.73   80
 COMEX gold    $983.30    $7.40  +0.76%    +0.41%    $930.39   85
 TOCOM gold      3,024       -4  -0.13%    +0.03%      2,901   80
 TOCOM plat      3,818       33  +0.87%    +2.33%      3,549   77
 Currencies                                               
 Euro/dlr       $1.428  -$0.002  -0.13%    +0.85%
 Dlr/yen         95.44    -0.21  -0.22%    -1.16%
 TOCOM prices in yen per gram, except TOCOM silver which is
priced in yen per 10 grams.  Spot prices in $ per ounce.
 (Reporting by Risa Maeda; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)