PRECIOUS-Gold ticks up as dollar stays on back foot – Reuters

PRECIOUS-Gold ticks up as dollar stays on back foot – Reuters

April 26 (Reuters) - Gold prices inched higher on Monday,

helped by a soft dollar ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve policy

meeting this week, while palladium held below a record peak

scaled last week.



FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was up 0.1% at $1,779.36 per ounce by

0127 GMT. U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $1,780.10 per

ounce.

* Palladium was up 0.1% at $2,857.01 per ounce. It

back foohad hit a record high of $2,925.14 on Friday.

* The dollar index nursed losses against its rivals,

making gold less expensive for other currency holders.

* U.S. factory activity powered ahead in early April, while

retail sales jumped to a record in March and hiring accelerated.



* Investors poured $16.4 billion into global bond funds and

$14.9 billion into money market funds in the week ended