* Euro-dollar near $1.35, further news awaited on Greece
* Oil prices steady after previous session's losses
* Buying seen emerging in India as prices ease
(Updates, adds comment, changes dateline from SINGAPORE)
By Jan Harvey
LONDON, March 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices were steady above
$1,100 an ounce in Europe on Monday as price-sensitive investors
bought the metal after its slide to one-week lows in the last
session, but an uptick in the dollar limited gains.
Gold slipped as low as $1,092.25 an ounce on Monday after
the rising dollar pushed the metal through key psychological
support at $1,100, but it quickly recovered.
Spot gold <XAU=> was bid at $1,101.50 an ounce at 1024 GMT,
against $1,101.60 late in New York on Monday. U.S. gold futures
for April delivery <GCJ0> on the COMEX division of the New York
Mercantile Exchange edged up $2.10 to $1,101.60 an ounce.
Gold watchers are awaiting fresh impetus from the currency
markets, analysts said.
"The $1.35 level for the euro is really key at this stage,"
Standard Bank analyst Walter de Wet said. "Yesterday, when we
had a drop below $1.35, gold fell quickly and the sell-off in
commodities was equally swift."
"As soon as gold gets to $1,095, there is really decent
physical demand, especially out of Asia, supporting it. That is
still in place, but that buying must be finite. If the dollar
continues to strengthen, the bias must be for gold to go lower."
The euro slipped versus the dollar as European Union leaders
clashed over possible support for debt-laden Greece in the
run-up to a summit later this week. []
While German Chancellor Angela Merkel continued to rebuff
calls for a euro zone agreement, European Commission President
Jose Manuel Barroso urged Merkel to agree on a financial safety
net for Athens or risk harm to the euro. []
"The EU meeting on March 25 and 26 remains key to euro
sentiment," said Credit Agricole in a note.
"(With) the rhetoric from German policymakers signalling
they are digging their heels in with regard to Greece, the
market is positioning for the worse and nudging the euro below
the $1.3500 level."
OIL STEADY
Among other commodities, oil prices were steady, supported
by stronger stock markets but under pressure as the dollar
firmed ahead of the European Union summit. []
Physical gold prices in India, the world's biggest bullion
consumer, fell slightly on Tuesday, but traders may resume
buying at these levels to stock up for the wedding season that
begins from April, dealers said. []
Buying has been soft after an unexpected hike in short-term
borrowing and lending rates by the Reserve Bank of India on
Friday hurt sentiment.
Silver prices eased a touch, with spot silver <XAG=> bid at
$16.89 an ounce against $16.93.
Holdings of the world's largest silver exchange-traded fund,
the iShares Silver Trust <SLV>, fell 24.4 tonnes from the
previous day to 9,278.18 tonnes as of March 22. []
Platinum group metals edged higher. Platinum <XPT=> was at
$1,602.50 an ounce against $1,597.50, and palladium <XPD=> was
at $457 against $454.50.
Platinum group metals prices are benefiting from
expectations car demand in key markets such as the United States
and China will improve this year.
"Chinese official import data for February showed an 88
percent and 197 percent increase in platinum and palladium
imports (respectively) compared to February 2009," HSBC said in
a note.
"This confirms strong Chinese auto and jewellery demand, we
believe, and underpins prices going forward."
(Editing by Sue Thomas)
