* Dollar wilts on expectations U.S. rates will remain low
* Oil, industrial metals lifted by softer dollar
* Chinese passenger car sales surge in October
(Updates throughout, changes dateline from TOKYO)
By Jan Harvey
LONDON, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Gold hit a record high above
$1,100 an ounce in Europe on Monday as the dollar slid on
expectations U.S. interest rates will remain low, boosting
interest in the precious metal as an alternative asset.
Spot gold <XAU=> reached a peak of $1,108.55 an ounce, and
was bid at $1,106.55 an ounce at 0937 GMT, against $1,096.30
late in New York on Friday.
The precious metal extended last week's near 5 percent
gains, when fund buying took it to a series of record highs in
the wake of India's central bank buying 200 tonnes of gold from
the International Montary Fund and the dollar weakening further.
"Gold is unstoppable," said Michael Kempinski, a senior
trader with Commerzbank. "The forex market helps, and
technically it seems pretty good. And as we know, funds like to
take more in on the highs to push (prices) further."
U.S. gold futures for December delivery <GCZ9> on the COMEX
division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose $13.10 to
$1,108.80 an ounce.
The dollar weakened broadly on Monday after a G20 meeting
and U.S. jobs data did little to alter the view that U.S.
interest rates will stay low for the foreseeable future,
offering little incentive to buy the currency. []
Weakness in the U.S. unit tends to benefit all dollar-priced
assets, as it makes them cheaper for other currency holders.
Other commodities also rose, with industrial metals climbing
across the board and oil prices rising more than $1 a barrel.
Strength in crude prices often helps support gold, which can be
used as a hedge against oil-led inflation. [] []
The Russian central bank's first deputy chairman, Alexei
Ulyukayev, said on Monday the central bank may buy gold from the
state repository, Gokhran. []
MORE GAINS EXPECTED
Demand for physical gold was soft, however, with high prices
curbing appetite for bullion in major consumer India, though a
strong rupee lent support. []
Dealers noted sales from Indonesia, but the limited amount
of scrap being returned to the physical market despite record
prices suggested that holders expected more gains. []
European traders noted that gold's strength in currencies
other than the dollar suggested gains could be resilient.
Gold priced in euros <XAUEUR=R> held near its highest since
March at 740.69 euros on Monday, while sterling-denominated gold
<XAUGBP=R> hit 661.88 pounds, within reach of eight-month highs.
"Gold (in euro terms) is 50 euros per ounce higher compared
to a month ago, so U.S. dollar weakness is not the only driver,"
said Michael Blumenroth, a trader at Deutsche Bank.
The world's largest bullion-backed exchange-traded fund, New
York's SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings were unchanged on
Friday from the previous session, meanwhile. []
ETF Securities said holdings of its ETFS Physical Gold
<PHAU.L> fund rose more than 2 percent to 3.324 million ounces
on Friday.
Among other precious metals, silver <XAG=> was bid at $
17.70 an ounce versus $17.38, platinum <XPT=> at $1,354 an ounce
versus $1,342.50, and palladium <XPD=> at $330 against $327.50.
Both platinum and palladium held near the multi-month highs
they hit in late October, as traders bet strength in gold prices
and an expected recovery in demand from carmakers, the major
consumers of the platinum group metals, will buoy prices.
Data released on Monday showed China's passenger cars sales
surged 75.8 percent in October from a year earlier, extending
the explosive growth of recent months as government incentive
policies continued to lure customers. []
(Reporting by Jan Harvey; Editing by William Hardy)
