PRECIOUS-Gold flat as Treasury yields counter soft dollar ahead of key US data

BY Reuters | TREASURY | 12:55 AM EST

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U.S. 10-year Treasury yields at near two-week high

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U.S. unemployment benefit claims drop to over three-year low

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PCE data for September due at 1500 GMT

(Adds details and updates prices for Asia mid-session trade)

By Ishaan Arora

Dec 5 (Reuters) - Gold prices were broadly flat on Friday, as higher U.S. Treasury yields offset support from a weaker dollar, while investors awaited key inflation data for signals on the Federal Reserve's policy path ahead of its meeting next week.

Spot gold held its ground at $4,215.92 per ounce, as of 0524 GMT, and was on track for a 0.3% weekly decline.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery edged 0.1% higher to $4,245.70 per ounce.

Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hovered near their highest levels in more than two weeks.

The dollar languished not far from a five-week low against its major peers, making greenback-priced gold more attractive to overseas buyers.

"So the market is waiting for fresh triggers which can come in the form of what the Fed is going to do and (gold) is just consolidating after a brief run in the month of November, but the trend going forward looks to be on the upside," said Kunal Shah, head of research, Nirmal Bang Commodities.

Shah added that higher Treasury yields were also playing their part in pressuring gold prices.

U.S. data on Thursday showed jobless claims fell to 191,000 last week, the lowest in more than three years and well under the 220,000 forecast. ADP figures revealed on Wednesday that private payrolls fell by 32,000 in November, the sharpest drop in more than 2-1/2 years.

A majority of more than 100 economists polled by Reuters forecast the Fed will reduce its key interest rate by 25 basis points at its December 9-10 meeting, as the central bank seeks to support a cooling labor market.

Lower interest rates tend to favour non-yielding assets such as gold.

Investors are waiting on the delayed September Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, due at 1500 GMT.

Silver rose 1% to $57.68 per ounce and was on track for a weekly gain. The contract climbed to a record high of $58.98 on Wednesday.

Platinum edged 0.1% lower to $1,644.04 and was also set for a weekly loss, while palladium gained 1.1% to $1,464.70 but was poised to end the week higher.

(Reporting by Ishaan Arora in Bengaluru; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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