Gold prices were little changed on Tuesday, as concerns over spiking U.S. coronavirus cases offset pressure from vaccine optimism brought about by a positive vaccine trial data.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was unchanged at $1,887.99 per ounce by 0050 GMT, while U.S. gold futures were up 0.1% at $1,888.70.
* Bullion dropped as much as 1.3% on Monday after drugmaker Moderna said its experimental vaccine was 94.5% effective in preventing COVID-19 based on interim data from a late-stage trial.
* President-elect Joe Biden on Monday called on Congress to come together and pass a new coronavirus relief package.
* Forty U.S. states have reported record increases in COVID-19 cases in November, while 20 have seen a record rise in deaths and 26 reported record hospitalizations, according to a Reuters tally of public health data.
* Successful tests of two coronavirus vaccine candidates have increased the chance of a faster than expected U.S. economic recovery, Federal Reserve Vice Chair Richard Clarida said on Monday.
* The euro zone is facing a drawn-out recovery from a deep recession and needs more support from both the European Central Bank and governments, several policymakers said on Monday.
* Asian stocks opened firmer after the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indexes hit record highs on news of another promising coronavirus vaccine.
* Speculators cut their net long position by 10,995 contracts to 110,957 on COMEX gold in week to Nov. 10, he U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) said on Monday.
* Silver fell 0.1% to $24.74 per ounce. Platinum was flat at 925.50, while palladium fell 0.4% to $2,323.30.