Aug 14 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell on Friday as investors
locked in profits after non-yielding bullion climbed to an over
two-month high in the previous session, with mild U.S. inflation
data undermining expectations of a September Federal Reserve
rate hike.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was down 0.5% at $4,330.37 per ounce, as
of 0103 GMT, while U.S. gold futures for December
delivery slid 0.8% to $4,386.80.
* Bullion climbed to its highest point since June 5 on
Thursday, before settling 1.3% lower and wiping out its gains
for the week.
* U.S. producer prices were unchanged in July as goods
prices fell and the cost of services increased marginally,
bolstering market expectations that the Fed could keep interest
rates unchanged next month.
* The report from the U.S. Labor Department on Thursday
followed news of mild consumer inflation last month.
* Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack reiterated her view
that the U.S. central bank should raise rates immediately to
restrain growth and too-high inflation.
* On the geopolitical front, Washington on Thursday
threatened to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely,
ratcheting up economic pressure on Tehran as ceasefire talks
have floundered.
* Highlighting persistent demand for the metal, gold is on
the rise again, as a confluence of economic and political
dynamics spurs demand from investors around the world,
especially one cohort: central banks.
* Underscoring robust central bank interest in gold, the
Bank of Korea bought and held 679,765 shares of SPDR Gold Trust,
valued at roughly $250.4 million as of end-June, a U.S. SEC
filing showed, marking its first disclosed gold investment since
buying physical gold in 2013.
* Venezuelan authorities plan to focus on reconstruction
efforts and recovering gold reserves worth an estimated $4
billion held in the Bank of England's underground vaults,
National Assembly chief Jorge Rodriguez said on Wednesday, as
monthly inflation surged to 20%.
* In other metals, spot silver slipped 0.8% to $63.92
per ounce.
* Platinum decreased 1% to $1,700.60, while palladium
eased 0.3% to $1,303.25, both at their lowest levels
since August 4.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
0900 EU Total Trade Balance SA June
0900 EU GDP Flash Estimate QQ, YY Q2
1230 US Retail Sales MM July
1400 US U Mich Sentiment Prelim August