Gold prices were steady on Wednesday as a rising dollar offset support for the metal from easing equities and growing concerns of a global recession.

 

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was unchanged at $1,743.99 per ounce by 0030 GMT, having gained 0.7% in the previous session on recession fears. U.S. gold futures GCv1 rose 0.2% to $1,748.50.

* The dollar gained about 0.2% against key rivals, making gold costlier for investors using other currencies, while Asian equities were likely to come under pressure. 

* The U.S. economy should bounce back sharply in the third quarter after its deep coronavirus-related collapse, but it will not fully recover its lost ground until sometime after next year, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said. 

* U.S. homebuilding dropped by the most on record in April and permits for future construction tumbled, underlining fears that the coronavirus crisis would lead to the deepest economic contraction in the second quarter since the Great Depression. 

* Gold is seen as an alternative asset during times of economic and political uncertainties.

* The slump in Japanese business confidence deepened in May, hitting decade lows as firms braced for a protracted period of coronavirus-driven economic weakness, the Reuters Tankan survey showed. 

* The global palladium market will see its smallest deficit since at least 2012 this year, while the platinum market remains significantly oversupplied, an industry report said. 

* Palladium fell 1.4% to $2,029.50 per ounce and silver eased 0.1% to $17.38, while platinum gained 0.4% to $836.01.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0600 UK CPI YY April 0900 EU HICP Final MM, YY April 1400 EU Consumer Confid. Flash May 1800 U.S. Federal Open Market Committee will release the minutes of its April 28 - 29 policy meeting

(Reporting by K. Sathya Narayanan in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu) ((Sathya.Narayanan@thomsonreuters.com; within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, outside U.S. +91 80 6182 2732; Reuters Messaging: sathya.narayanan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))