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: Quote, Profile, Research), 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)

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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)