Gold prices on Wednesday hovered near their highest levels in three weeks after lacklustre U.S. jobs openings and consumer confidence data assuaged bets of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve this year.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold held its ground at $1,936.59 per ounce by 0115 GMT, trading close to its highest levels since Aug. 7 hit on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures steadied at $1,964.30.

* U.S. Treasury yields dropped to three-week lows on Tuesday after the data and the dollar also weakened, making gold less expensive for other currency holders. Lower rates burnish demand for the non-interest-paying gold.

* U.S. job openings dropped to the lowest level in nearly 2-1/2 years in July as the labor market gradually slowed, bolstering expectations that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged next month.

* U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in August after two straight monthly increases amid renewed concerns about inflation, a survey showed on Tuesday.

* Investors are now awaiting the Commerce Department's second take on April-June GDP later in the day, personal consumption expenditures price index on Thursday, and the non-farm payrolls report on Friday.

* The U.S. Fed is unlikely to provide clear signals on whether it will pause interest rate hikes or consider cutting rates, barring severe economic weakness or disinflation, former central bankers said on Tuesday.

* SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose 0.3% to 889.23 metric tons on Tuesday.

* Elsewhere, spot silver fell 0.2% to $24.68 per ounce, but was hovering close to a one-month high.

* Platinum eased 0.1% to $975.14, having climbed to its highest level since July 19 in the previous session. Palladium shed 0.3% to $1,245.44. 

(Reporting by Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)