PRECIOUS-Gold hits another high on weak dollar

TOKYO, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Gold hit a record high on Thursday
for the second straight day as investors focused on the precious
metal's appeal as a hedge against a weakening dollar.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold XAU= rose above $1,120.00 an ounce by 0035
GMT, compared with New York's notional close of $1,117.45.

* U.S. gold futures for December delivery GCZ9 rose as high
as $1,120.90 an ounce, a fresh record.

* The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR
Gold Trust (GLD), said its holdings stood at 1,114.443 tonnes as
of Nov. 11, unchanged from the previous business day. [GOL/SPDR]

* Vietnam's central bank on Wednesday lifted a 1-½ year old
ban on gold imports in a bid to stabilise the market after a
sharp rise in prices helped drive the country's dong currency to
a record low. [ID:nHAN511002]

MARKET NEWS

* The dollar bounced and regained some ground after hitting a
15-month low, while sterling was under pressure after the Bank of
England governor's comments on the British currency's weakness.
The euro was steady at $1,4985 EUR=, having risen as far as
$1.5049 on trading platform EBS the previous day. [USD/]

* Japan's Nikkei share average .N225 was up 0.5 percent.
[.T]

* The Dow and Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at 13-month
highs on Wednesday as an upbeat forecast from a top homebuilder
and data from China pointed to a strengthening global economy.
[.N]

* Barrick Gold Corp, the world's biggest gold producer, sees
the potential for record margins in the fourth quarter as gold
prices hit new peaks and costs are stable or lower, its chief
financial officer said on Wednesday. [ID:nLB204667]

DATA EVENTS

* The following data is expected on Thursday: ECON

- Japan Oct wholesales price data (2350 GMT)

- Australia Oct employment data (0030 GMT)

- U.S. Treasury's Geithner at news conference (0830 GMT)

- ECB publishes monthly bulletin (0900 GMT)

- Euro zone industrial production for Sept (1000 GMT)

- Weekly U.S. jobless claims (1330 GMT)

- ECB President Trichet speech (1900 GMT)

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PRICES
Precious metals prices at 0015 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg Day ago pct MA 30 RSI
Spot gold $1117.45 $0.00 +0.00% +24.58% $860.10 83
Spot silver $17.62 $0.05 +0.28% +47.08% $11.29 61
Spot plat $1369.50 $1.50 +0.11% +1.63% $1345.40 62
TOCOM gold 3,241 33 +1.03% +1.95% 3,104 71
TOCOM plat 3,981 56 +1.43% +1.84% 3,921 62
Currencies
Euro/dlr $1.499 $0.001 +0.05% +0.05%
Dlr/yen 89.87 0.05 +0.06% +0.03%
TOCOM prices in yen per gram, except TOCOM silver which is
priced in yen per 10 grams. Spot prices in $ per ounce.
(Reporting by Risa Maeda; Editing by Chris Gallagher)