Bareksa.com - Gold held on to modest overnight gains on Thursday as the dollar weakened after the U.S. Federal Reserve's outlook on interest rates, while platinum group metals rose as new hurdles emerged in settling South Africa's mining strike.

The central bank hinted at a slightly more aggressive pace of interest rate increases starting next year, but lowered projections for the long-run target interest rate, sending the dollar to its lowest in nearly two weeks.

The Fed cut its U.S. growth forecast for 2014 from 2.9 percent to a range of between 2.1 percent and 2.3 percent, but it also expressed confidence that the U.S. economic recovery was on track.

Spot gold was little changed at $1,276.89 an ounce by 0318 GMT, after rising 0.5 percent on Wednesday.

"The lower dollar and underlying geopolitical tensions are supportive for gold prices," said a precious metals trader in Hong Kong. "But the lack of strong physical demand and outflows from ETFs could weaken any rally."

Tensions over Iraq and Ukraine are attracting some safe-haven bids for gold.

Physical demand in top buyers China and India has been weak, with premiums in both countries dropping in recent days. Indian premiums are at a four-month low, while Chinese prices are
trading between discounts and on par with global prices.

SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, saw two straight sessions of outflows earlier in the week before pausing on Wednesday.

Holdings of the fund are near a five-year low and reflect bearish sentiment in the market.

Platinum and palladium extended their winning streak, with both trading near one-week highs as a mining strike in major producer South Africa looked set to drag on.

South African platinum union AMCU has made "unaffordable" new demands beyond a deal struck with producers last week, miners said on Wednesday, dashing hopes of an end to the country's longest and costliest mining strike.

PRICES AT 0318 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct chg

Spot gold 1276.89 -0.61 -0.05
Spot silver 19.82 -0.04 -0.2
Spot platinum 1447.5 3.6 0.25
Spot palladium 825.95 3.25 0.4
Comex gold 1277.2 4.5 0.35
Comex silver 19.845 0.067 0.34
Euro 1.3591
DXY 80.375

COMEX gold and silver contracts show the most active months (Source : Reuters)