• Gold prices edged up on Monday, gaining for a third day, on technical buying and a weaker dollar after mixed U.S. jobs data late last week muted expectations for near-term interest rate hikes.
• Spot gold had gained percent to per ounce by GMT.0.2$1,222.300053
• The dollar Index was down percent at 0.299.723.
• Wall Street's top banks expect just two rate hikes from the Federal Reserve this year and see only modest risk to the U.S. central bank being pressed into a more aggressive pace of monetary policy tightening, a Reuters polls showed on Friday.
• Asian shares edged ahead on Monday as Wall Street gathered momentum into a busy week of earnings with more than major companies due to report, while the dollar was again hobbled by a lack of progress on U.S. fiscal stimulus.100
• "Gold is pointing to push higher from all fronts on charts," said Brian Lan, managing director at gold dealer GoldSilver Central in Singapore, adding that the metal may test per ounce.$1,230
"It's unlikely there will be a rate hike in March as there is too much political unrest in the United States. At least in the first half of the year, gold should do quite well," Lan said.
• Spot gold may rise towards resistance at per ounce, as it has managed to stand above resistance at , according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.$1,249$1,219
• Speculators increased their net long position in COMEX gold contracts in the week to Jan. 31.
• The Perth Mint's sales of gold products rose in January to the highest in three months, while silver sales nearly tripled from last month, the mint said in a blog post on its website on Friday.
• A bounce in investment to a four-year high drove a modest gain in gold demand last year, data from the World Gold Council showed on Friday, even as use of the metal in jewellery slid to its lowest since and coin and bar buying slid.2009
• Demand for gold in India rose last week as many jewelers resumed purchases after having stayed away for a few weeks hoping for an import duty cut in the government budget.
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