Gold steady as investors wait for next week's Fed meeting

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Gold prices were largely unchanged on Friday as investors remained cautious ahead of key events next week such as a U.S. Federal Reserve policy meeting and a summit between the United States and North Korea.

FUNDAMENTALS

** Spot gold > was steady at $1,296.60 per ounce at 0052 GMT. It has risen about 0.3 percent so far this week.

** U.S. gold futures for August delivery fell 0.2 percent to $1,301.10 per ounce.

** The dollar index <.DXY>, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was little changed at 93.439. It fell to a three-week low in the previous session. [USD/]

 

** The U.S. dollar's dominance is forecast to fade soon, with any sudden change in expectations for the policies of other central banks posing the biggest risk, a Reuters poll of currency strategists showed.

** Leaders of the Group of Seven rich nations headed for a summit in Canada on Thursday more divided than at any time in the group's 42-year history, as U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policies risk causing a global trade war and deep diplomatic schisms.

** Trump on Thursday held out the prospect of inviting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to the White House if he deemed next week's summit a success while also signalling he was willing to walk away if he thought talks did not go well.

** The U.S. Fed will likely raise its target interest rate to above the rate of inflation for the first time in a decade next week, igniting a new debate: when to stop.

** The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, pointing to a further tightening in labour market conditions.

** The euro zone began the year with slower economic growth as fears of a trade war with the United States appeared to take their toll, official data showed on Thursday.

** Russian gold miner Polyus said on Thursday it planned to make a final investment decision on Sukhoi Log, one of the world's largest untapped gold deposits, by 2020-2021, when it would also begin capital spending on construction.

** Spot silver > prices are poised to reach $20 per ounce by the end of the year, boosted by global growth, increased industrial demand and safe-haven bids amid geopolitical worries, analysts said on Thursday.

(Reporting by Karen Rodrigues in Bengaluru; Editing by Joseph Radford)