PRECIOUS-Gold hovers at $1,030/oz, ETF holdings dip 3rd day

                                
 TOKYO, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Gold prices steadied around
$1,030 per ounce on Thursday after earlier hitting a new
three-week low at $1,025.75, with the topside capped by a
recovery in the U.S. dollar.
                                
 FUNDAMENTALS
                                
 * Spot gold <XAU=> edged up to $1,029.00 by 0021 GMT, up
0.2 percent from New York's notional close of $1,026.85.
                                
 * On Wednesday it fell below technical support at $1,030
per ounce, as a resurgent dollar eroded the precious metal's
standing as an alternative asset. [GOL/]
                                
 * U.S. gold futures for December delivery <GCZ9> were
almost flat at $1,030 per ounce after falling $4.90, or 0.5
percent, to $1,030.50 on Wednesday.
                                
 * The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund,
SPDR Gold Trust <GLD>, said its holdings stood at 1,104.434
tonnes as of Oct 28, down 1.22 tonnes or 0.1 percent from the
previous business day. It was the third day of delines in a
row. [GOL/SPDR]
                                
 * Spot silver <XAG=> inched higher from a new three-week
low of $16.08 marked earlier on Thursday. Platinum <XPT=>
clawed above $1,300 after touching a new three-week low of
$1,297.00 on Wednesday.
                                
 MARKET NEWS
                                
 * The dollar held firm near its highest in more than two
weeks on Thursday, while the yen strengthened broadly as
investors took profits on a host of growth-linked trades that
had been in vogue in recent months. [USD/]
                                
 * U.S. stocks fell in a broad sell-off on Wednesday,
sending the benchmark S&P 500 lower for a fourth straight day,
after weak data on new home sales heightened concerns about the
pace of the economic recovery. [.N]
                                
 * Oil fell more than 2 percent to below $78 a barrel on
Wednesday after data showed a surprising build in U.S. gasoline
inventories and weak U.S. new home sales, stirring fuel demand
concerns in the giant consumer. [O/R]
                                
 DATA EVENTS
                                
 * The following data is expected on Thursday: <ECON>
                                
 - Japan Sept industrial output (2350 GMT)
                                
 - ECB's Trichet, Papademos speak (0730 GMT)
                                
 - Germany Oct jobless data (0900 GMT)
                                
 - Italy Sept wages data (0900 GMT)
                                
 - UK Sept consumer credit (0930 GMT)
                                
 - UK Sept mortgage lending (0930 GMT)
                                
 - Euro zone Oct economic sentiment index (1000 GMT)
                                
 - U.S. advance real Q3 GDP (1230 GMT)
                                
 - Weekly U.S. jobless claims (1230 GMT)
                                
 - U.S. Treasury Secretary Geithner testifies (1330 GMT)
                                
 RELATED NEWS
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 PRICES
                                
 Precious metals prices at 2347 GMT
 Metal         Last      Change  Pct chg  Day ago pct  MA 30
RSI
 Spot gold    $1028.85    $2.00  +0.19%   +14.70%    $860.10 
36
 Spot silver    $16.15    $0.06  +0.37%   +34.81%     $11.29 
26
 Spot plat    $1304.00    $0.50  +0.04%    -0.61%   $1323.25 
32
 TOCOM gold      3,008      -55  -1.80%    -2.78%      3,008 
35
 TOCOM plat      3,818      -61  -1.57%    -3.61%      3,849 
35
 Currencies                                              
 Euro/dlr       $1.469  -$0.002  -0.12%    -0.78%
 Dlr/yen         90.51    -0.13  -0.14%    -1.39%
 (Reporting by Risa Maeda; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)