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1st LD Writethru: Gold up on weaker U.S. dollar

Xinhua, December 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose on Monday as the U.S. dollar showed weakness.

The most active gold contract for February delivery rose 15.6 U.S. dollars, or 1.46 percent, to settle at 1,080.60 dollars per ounce.

Gold was given support as the U.S. dollar index, a measure of the dollar against a basket of major currencies, fell by 0.25 to 98.44 as of 18:00 GMT.

Gold and the dollar typically move in opposite directions, which means if the dollar goes up, gold futures will fall as gold, measured by the dollar, becomes more expensive for investors holding other currencies.

Traders focused on a string of economic data due out this week: Gross domestic product report and existing home sales report is due out on Tuesday. Additionally, durable goods, new home sales, and personal income and outlays will be released on Wednesday, and the weekly jobless claims report on Thursday, while the markets will be closed on Friday.

The market is unsure of when the next rate hike, from a 0.50 rate to a 0.75 rate will occur. The Fedwatch tool shows an implied probability indicating that the market believes that the Fed may raise rates from 0.50 to 0.75 during the March FOMC meeting. The current implied probability of a hike from 0.50 to 0.75 is at 52 percent at the March meeting, and 10 percent at the January meeting.

Analysts believed the Fed aims to soak up some of the banks' 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars of excess reserves as the U.S. economy begins to recover.

Banks' appetite for risks grow in a bullish economy, which could potentially release some of their excessive reserves, flooding the economy with cash, causing inflation.

The long-term trend for gold remains strongly bearish according to analysts, as the Fed raised interest rate increase in December despite expectations for a delay in the rate hike until 2016.

An increase in the Fed's interest rate drives investors away from gold and toward assets with a return, as the precious metal bears no interest. There has not been an increase in the Fed's interest rate since June 2006, before the beginning of the American financial crisis.

Silver for March delivery added 21.9 cents, or 1.55 percent, to close at 14.315 dollars per ounce. Platinum for January delivery rose 20.5 dollars, or 2.39 percent, to close at 881.30 dollars per ounce. Enditem