PRECIOUS-Gold near 4-week lows as dollar stays firm

                                
 TOKYO, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Gold prices stayed pressured and
held near four-week lows on Monday as the dollar remained firm
against a basket of major currencies after upbeat U.S. economic
data late last week improved sentiment.
                                
 FUNDAMENTALS
                                
 * Spot gold <XAU=> at $1,115.57 per ounce, up 0.2 percent
from New York's notional close of $1,113.85. Bullion hit a
four-week low of $1,109.10 on Friday as better-than-expected U.S.
retail sales data boosted hopes for a self-sustaining economic
recovery and bolstered the dollar, sending bullion investors
racing to cut positions.
                                
 * Spot gold is now trading more than $100 below its record
high $1,226.10 reached on Dec. 3, due to liquidation.
                                
 * U.S. gold futures for February delivery <GCG0> eased 0.3
percent to $1,117.00, compared to $1,119.90 an ounce on the COMEX
division of the NYMEX. Futures were also off more than $100 from
the record high $1,227.50 hit on Dec. 3.
                                
 * Noncommercial net long U.S. gold futures positions fell to
254,429 lots in the week to Dec. 8 from 259,064 lots, a weekly
report by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed.
[ID:nN11147207]
                                
 * The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust <GLD>, said its holdings stood at 1,116.247 tonnes as
of Dec. 11, unchanged from the previous business day. [GOL/SPDR]
                                
 MARKET NEWS
                                
 * The Dow and S&P 500 closed up for a third straight session
on Friday after several solid consumer-related reports reinforced
investors' confidence in a steady recovery by the economy. [.N]
                                
 * The dollar held firm near six-week highs against a basket
of major currencies on Monday on speculation the Federal Reserve
would start tightening by mid-2010. The euro was off a two-month
low against the dollar but vulnerable to a sell-off before the
year end. [USD/]
                                
 DATA EVENTS
                                
 * The following data is expected on Monday: <ECON>
                                
 - Japan October capacity utilisation index. (0430 GMT)
                                
 - Japan October industrial output. (0430 GMT)
                                
 - France current account for October. (0745 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone Q3 employment. (1000 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone October industrial production. (1000 GMT)
                                
 RELATED NEWS
 >Gold hits 4-week low as U.S. data lifts dollar           [GOL/]
 >Russia to sell 30T gold to cbank next wk-source [ID:nGEE5BA0WE]
 >Strong US sales, sentiment data up recovery hope[ID:nN11254372]
 >Sugar, corn rally as dollar-commods linke breaks     [COM/WRAP]
 >US Fed likely to repeat low rate pledge this wk [ID:nN13200680]
                                
 PRICES
                                
 Precious metals prices at 2318 GMT
 Metal         Last      Change  Pct chg  Day ago pct  MA 30  RSI
  Spot gold    $1114.05    $0.20  +0.02%    -3.79%   $1142.43  29
 Spot silver    $17.11    $0.00  +0.00%    -5.89%     $18.04   25
 Spot plat    $1426.00    $0.00  +0.00%    +0.00%   $1422.85   47
 COMEX gold   $1116.00    $0.40  +0.04%    -0.35%   $1139.76   32
 TOCOM gold      3,261       -3  -0.09%    +1.97%      3,283   45
 TOCOM plat      4,124       37  +0.91%    +3.05%      4,073   49
 Currencies
 Euro/dlr       $1.462   $0.000  -0.01%    +0.08%
 Dlr/yen         89.25     0.29  +0.33%    +0.19%
 (Reporting by Chikako Mogi; Editing by Michael Watson)