 "Fed slowdown expectations drive gold towards second quarterly rise")
By Ashitha Shivaprasad
(Reuters) - Gold prices held steady on Friday, but the safe-haven metal was bound for its second straight quarterly gain after recent banking turmoil raised hopes of a less-aggressive U.S. Federal Reserve and shored up interest in bullion.
Spot gold was flat at $1,980.70 an ounce at 1108 GMT. U.S. gold futures were unchanged at $1,997.10.
Gold is just consolidating and there is focus on inflation data due later in the day, said Carlo Alberto De Casa, external analyst at Kinesis Money.
U.S. Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) data is due at 1230 GMT and could offer cues on the Fed's policy path.
Bullion prices have risen by more than 8% this quarter and are also set for their strongest month since July 2020.
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(Graphic: Fed slow-down bets ride gold toward second quarterly rise - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/zgvobagaapd/gold%20qtr.png)
Last week gold topped $2,000 after the sudden collapse of two U.S. regional lenders drove bets that the U.S. central bank might pause interest rate hikes to stem the risk of contagion in the global banking system. However, prices retreated after authorities initiated rescue measures.
A break above $2,000 is feasible, especially if data supports the possibility of a Fed pause, said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA.
"It may still take a couple of months, but the central bank has every reason to pause now and that could be a bullish factor for gold going forward," he said.
According to CME FedWatch tool, investors see a 47.5% chance of the Fed leaving rates unchanged.
In other precious metals, silver rose 0.1% to $23.90 an ounce, platinum fell 0.1% to $984.48 and palladium was up 2.1% at $1,494.87.
Platinum and palladium were both heading for a quarterly fall.
"Palladium price more vulnerable to demand than supply shocks," Metals Focus said in a note.
"Automakers currently hold an abundance of PGMs (platinum group metals), as they bought a larger quantity last year than they utilised. This overstocking has left the industry with an unusually long position in palladium."
(Graphic: xau - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/ce/zdpxdqzynpx/Pasted%20image%201680228090824.png)
(Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad in Bengaluru; Editing by Jason Neely and David Goodman)