Dec 12 (Reuters) - Gold edged lower on Friday after

hitting a more than seven-week high in the previous session, as

investors booked profits, while silver surged to yet another

all-time peak on Thursday.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold dipped 0.2% to $4,277.64 per ounce, as of

0029 GMT.

* U.S. gold futures for February delivery was down

0.1% at $4,307.80 per ounce.

* The U.S. dollar plummeted to an eight-week low in the

previous session, making greenback-priced gold more affordable

for overseas buyers.

* The Fed delivered its third-consecutive 25-basis-point

rate cut for the year in a deeply divided vote on Wednesday, but

signalled that further cuts were unlikely as it waits for

clearer signs on a softening job market and inflation that

"remains somewhat elevated".

* The number of Americans filing new applications for

unemployment benefits increased by the most in nearly 4-1/2

years last week, but the surge likely does not suggest a

material weakening in labor market conditions.

* A majority of U.S. central bankers expect they will need

to cut short-term interest rates next year, but in an

unprecedented move for the Fed, six policymakers indicated they

didn't support even Wednesday's quarter-point cut.

* Fed Chair Jerome Powell also declined to offer any

guidance on whether another cut is likely in the near term.

* Non-yielding assets such as gold tend to perform well in

low-interest-rate environments.

* Investors now await the monthly U.S. non-farm payrolls

report, set to be released on December 16, for fresh cues on the

Fed's policy path.

* India's pension regulator on Wednesday issued revised

investment rules for the country's pension funds, permitting

investments in gold and silver exchange-traded funds.

* Meanwhile, spot silver fell 0.5% to $63.31/oz after

scaling a record peak of $64.31 on Thursday. Year-to-date,

prices have surged 119%, supported by rising industrial demand,

falling inventories, and the metal's entry into the U.S.

critical minerals list.

* Elsewhere, platinum lost 0.2% to $1,691.45, while

palladium fell 0.5% to $1,476.5.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

1400 GERMANY HICP FINAL YY 12 Nov

0745 FRANCE CPI (EU NORM) FINAL MM Nov

1445 FRANCE CPI (EU NORM) FINAL YY Nov

1445 FRANCE CPI YY NSA Nov

1445 FRANCE CPI MM NSA Nov

1500 UK GDP Est 3M/3M Oct

1500 UK GDP Estimate MM Oct

1500 UK GDP Estimate YY Oct

1500 UK Services MM Oct

1500 UK Services YY Oct

1500 UK Manufacturing Output MM Oct