PRECIOUS-Gold rises as dollar slips, focus turns to US jobs data

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China's central bank buys gold for 15th consecutive month

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Delayed US jobs, inflation data due later this week

(Updates for US morning session)

By Anmol Choubey

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose on Monday, buoyed by a softer dollar as investors braced for a week packed ?with U.S. economic data that could offer more clues on the U.S. Federal Reserve's monetary policy.

Spot gold rose ?1.2% to $5,018.56 per ounce by 9:30 a.m. ET (1430 GMT), extending a 4% ?rally from Friday.

U.S. gold futures for April delivery also ?gained 1.3% to $5,042.20 per ?ounce.

The U.S. dollar fell 0.8% to a more than one-week low, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for ?overseas buyers.

"The big mover today (in gold prices) ?is the U.S. dollar," said Bart Melek, global head of commodity strategy at TD Securities, adding that expectations are growing for ?weak economic data, particularly on the labor ?front.

Investors are ?closely watching this week's release of U.S. nonfarm payrolls, consumer prices and initial jobless claims for fresh signals on monetary policy, with markets already ?pricing in at least two rate cuts of 25 basis points in 2026.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls are expected to have risen by 70,000 in January, according to a Reuters poll.

Lower interest rates tend to support gold by reducing the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset.

Meanwhile, China's central bank extended ?its gold ?buying spree for a 15th month in January, data from the People's Bank of China showed on Saturday.

"The debasement trade continues, with ongoing ?geopolitical risks driving people into gold," Melek said, adding that China's purchases have had a psychological impact on the market.

Spot silver climbed 2.9% to $80.22 per ounce after a near 10% gain in the previous session. It hit an all-time high of $121.64 on January 29.

Spot platinum was down 0.2% at $2,092.95 per ounce, while palladium was steady at $1,707.25.

"A slowdown in ?EV sales hasn't really materialized despite all the policy softening, so I do see that platinum and palladium will possibly slow down," after a bullish run in 2025, WisdomTree commodities strategist Nitesh ?Shah said. (Reporting by Anmol Choubey and Pablo Sinha in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva)