Gold prices edged higher on Wednesday, holding above the key $2,000 per ounce pivot, supported by a sagging dollar, while investors awaited minutes from the U.S. Federal Reserve's last policy meeting later in the day.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was up 0.1% at $2,002.12 per ounce by 0029 GMT, after hitting a one-week high of $2,014.97 on Tuesday.

* U.S. gold futures eased 0.1% to $2,011.60 per ounce.

* The dollar index fell for a sixth straight session, down 0.1%, to hold near a more than two-year low hit in the last session, making gold less expensive for holders of other currencies. 

* U.S. Treasury yields edged lower as the market largely snubbed strong housing data and looked for signs that a political impasse over a new round of aid to bolster the coronavirus-hit economy was easing. 

* Asian equities were mostly firmer on Wednesday after a strong Wall Street session in which the S&P 500 hit an all-time high, rebounding from huge losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

* More than 22.03 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 774,989? have died, according to a Reuters tally. 

* Japan's exports fell 19.2% in July from a year earlier, posting a fifth straight month of double-digit declines, Ministry of Finance data showed. 

* Markets are looking to the release at 1800 GMT of the minutes of the Fed's latest meeting that might give more clues on the interest rate outlook.

* Silver rose 0.6% to $27.82 per ounce. Platinum gained 0.2% to $958.33, and palladium edged 0.1% to $2,190.98.

 

DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0600 UK CPI YY July 0900 EU HICP Final MM, YY July 1800 US Federal Open Market Committee will release minutes from its July 28-29 policy meeting

(Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich) ((Brijesh.Patel1@thomsonreuters.com; Within U.S. +1 651 848 5832, Outside U.S. +91 8067493865; Reuters Messaging: Brijesh.Patel1.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))