PRECIOUS-Gold edges down as dollar rises on euro debt

                                
 SINGAPORE, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged down on
Wednesday, pressured by a stronger dollar on worries about euro
zone nations' sovereign debt crisis.
                                
 FUNDAMENTALS
                                
 * Spot gold <XAU=> edged down 0.2 percent to $1,356.84 an
ounce by 0019 GMT, after falling to $1,354.99, its lowest in
nearly two weeks.
                                
 * U.S. gold futures <GCZ0> fell nearly one percent to
$1,355.9.
                                
 * Ireland signalled on Monday its banks, not the state,
could need help with funding, but its impatient euro zone
partners urged a swift decision on any EU rescue, saying the
uncertainty was rattling markets and hurting them.
[ID:nLDE6AE0HO]
                                
 * Portugal's finance minister said the country has no plans
to request emergency foreign funding and there were no formal
or informal talks on the matter. [ID:nLDE6AE1ZM]
                                
 * Gold's bull trend is very much alive, because the
precious metal has not broken below key support levels yet,
chartists say. [ID:nN15142669]
                                
 * Sales at U.S. retailers posted their strongest gain in
seven months during October, adding to signs the economy was
regaining strength after hitting a soft patch in the summer.
[ID:nN15239736]
                                
 MARKET NEWS
                                
 * U.S. stocks slipped on Monday as concerns the Federal
Reserve may scale back its efforts to stimulate the economy
muted optimism over two big takeover bids.[.N]
                                
 * The euro fell to its lowest against the dollar in six
weeks on concerns about Ireland's ability to repay debt and
worries that its problems could spill over to other euro zone
nations. [USD/]
                                
 DATA/EVENTS
                                
 1000 EZ      Inflation, final yy        Oct    <EUHICY=ECI>
                                
 1000 Germany ZEW economic sentiment     Nov    <DEZEWS=ECI>
                                
 1245 U.S.    ICSC chain stores yy       Weekly <USUBSY=ECI>
                                
 1255 U.S.    Redbook mm                 Weekly <USREDM=ECI>
                                
 1330 U.S.    PPI inflation y/y, NSA     Oct    <USPPIA=ECI>
                                
 1330 U.S.    Producer prices mm         Oct     <USPPI=ECI>
                                
 1330 U.S.    Producer prices, core mm   Oct    <USPPIX=ECI>
                                
 1330 U.S.    Producer prices, core yy   Oct    <USPPIY=ECI>
                                
 1400 U.S.    Net capital inflows        Sep    <USNCIO=ECI>
                                
 1415 U.S.    Industrial output mm       Oct      <USIP=ECI>
                                
 1500 U.S.    NAHB housing market indx   Nov    <USNAHB=ECI>
                                
 RELATED NEWS > Ireland not at point of seeking aid
-Eurogroup cha[nLDE6AE0HO] > U.S. retail sales jump, signal
pick-up in growth [nN15239736] > Greece faces worse budget gap,
blames Germany    [nLDE6AE0TV] > Dollar surges on euro debt
woes; bonds down      [nN15610043] > Forecasters trim US
recovery expectations-survey [nNAT007500] > BoE's Weale - no
compelling case to change policy [nLAC005794] > Lacker says
Fed's new easing push too risky      [nN14217377] > Irish fears
ease, global stocks mixed            [nLDE6AE0II] > NY Fed
manufacturing growth declines in November [nN15243086] >
Deficit panel co-chair 'hopeful' of plan approval [nN15238661]
> ECB's Weber backs orderly bank defaults          [nLDE6AE0PR]
> Oil edges up after $3 slide, dollar curbs rise  
[nSGE6AE0R0]
                                
PRICES
 Precious metals prices at 0019 GMT
 Metal             Last    Change  Pct chg  YTD pct chg
Turnover
 Spot Gold        1356.84   -3.25   -0.24     23.83
 Spot Silver        25.56    0.14   +0.55     51.87
 Spot Platinum    1667.24   -1.50   -0.09     13.65
 Spot Palladium    670.72    1.50   +0.22     65.41
 TOCOM Gold       3636.00   -9.00   -0.25     11.57       
28620
 TOCOM Platinum   4506.00   10.00   +0.22      2.85        
5487
 TOCOM Silver       68.50   -0.50   -0.72     32.50         
787
 TOCOM Palladium  1795.00    2.00   +0.11     54.08         
335
 Euro/Dollar       1.3572
 Dollar/Yen         83.12
 TOCOM prices in yen per gram. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
 (Reporting by Rujun Shen; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)