Gold prices held steady on Monday as expectations that the US Federal Reserve will pause its multi-year interest rate hike cycle were offset by a recovery in investor appetite for risk.

Spot gold was mostly unchanged at $1,281.41 per ounce by 0610 GMT, while US gold futures fell 0.1 per cent to $1,281.10 an ounce.

“Dovish signals (from the Fed) have kept dollar strength in check, helping gold. But, on the other hand, we have seen them easing bearish sentiments in equity markets,” said Benjamin Lu, analyst at Phillip Futures, Singapore.

Less than two weeks ahead of the US central bank's first policy meeting of the new year, Federal Reserve officials have left little doubt that they want to stop raising interest rates - at least for a while.

Slower global growth, a stock meltdown last quarter, and a partial US government shutdown that threatens consumer confidence and spending have many in the Fed worried.

“We have seen very positive conditions in US equities and the dollar has also seen a series of positive trades. All these competing influences have capped the safe-haven appeal,” Lu said, adding that gold was facing strong technical resistance at $1,300 levels.

Gold has risen more than 10 per cent since touching 1-1/2-year lows in mid-August, due mainly to tumultuous equity markets and a softer dollar.

Asian markets were steady on Monday, after Wall Street posted a fourth straight week of gains last week. “On the longer run, we are still very positive on gold on a synchronised slowdown in global economic conditions and geopolitical uncertainties,” Lu said.

The Chinese economy slowed at the end of last year, underlining the urgent need for more stimulus as Beijing wrestles with the US over trade, a data showed on Monday.

Investors are also waiting to hear British Prime Minister Theresa May's 'Plan B' for Brexit, which is due to be presented to parliament later on Monday, after her deal was rejected by lawmakers last week.

Reflecting investor appetite for gold, holdings of SPDR Gold , the largest gold-based exchange-traded fund, rose 1.5 per cent on Friday to 809.76 tonnes.

Spot gold may break a support at $1,279 per ounce and fall to the next support at $1,268, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao.

Meanwhile, spot palladium, which hit a record high of $1,434.50 last week, was up 0.4 per cent at $1,382 on Monday. Palladium has risen 9.5 per cent so far this month on supply concerns in South Africa and Russia, which are keeping the market tight amid strong demand, ANZ analysts said in a note.

Spot silver fell 0.1 per cent to $15.30, while spot platinum fell 2.2 per cent to $797.50.

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