Gold flat; en route to best year in more than a decade

Gold prices were steady in early Asian trading on Tuesday, capping an exceptional year with over a 26% increase due to central bank purchases, easing monetary policies, and geopolitical tensions. U.S. gold futures saw a slight gain, while silver remained stable, and platinum and palladium edged lower.

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Gold prices were unchanged in early Asian hours on Tuesday, the last trading day of an eventful year that saw the metal post its best annual performance in more than a decade. FUNDAMENTALS * Spot gold was flat at $2,606.07 per ounce, as of 0034 GMT.

U.S. gold futures gained 0.



1% to $2,619.90. * Trading activity is expected to remain quiet on the last day of the year.

* Central bank buying , monetary policy easing and geopolitical tensions propelled gold to multiple record highs this year, putting the metal on track for its best performance since 2010, with an over 26% increase so far. Stock Trading Masterclass on Value Investing and Company Valuation By - The Economic Times, Get Certified By India's Top Business News Brand View Program Stock Trading Market 104: Options Trading: Kickstart Your F&O Adventure By - Saketh R, Founder- QuickAlpha, Full Time Options Trader View Program Stock Trading Technical Analysis for Everyone - Technical Analysis Course By - Abhijit Paul, Technical Research Head, Fund Manager- ICICI Securities View Program Stock Trading Stock Markets Made Easy By - elearnmarkets, Financial Education by StockEdge View Program Stock Trading Renko Chart Patterns Made Easy By - Kaushik Akiwatkar, Derivative Trader and Investor View Program Stock Trading Market 101: An Insight into Trendlines and Momentum By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.com View Program Stock Trading Markets 102: Mastering Sentiment Indicators for Swing and Positional Trading By - Rohit Srivastava, Founder- Indiacharts.

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* The market now awaits a fresh set of catalysts, including a slew of U.S. economic data due next week that could influence the interest rate outlook for 2025, and President-elect Donald Trump's tariff policies.

* Data expected next week includes job openings figures, ADP employment report, the Fed's December FOMC minutes and the U.S. employment report.

* China's net gold imports via Hong Kong more than doubled from October in November, marking the highest level in seven months, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department data showed. * Spot silver steadied at $28.94 per ounce and palladium added 0.

1% to $901.49, while platinum shed 0.4% to $900.

00. * Silver was headed for its best year since 2020, while platinum and palladium were set for annual losses. DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0130 China NBS Manufacturing PMI Dec.

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