SINGAPORE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Gold hovered above
$1,650 an ounce on Wednesday, as investors shifted their focus
back to the euro zone crisis after prices gained on data
pointing to a better outlook for the global economy.	
    	
    FUNDAMENTALS	
    * Spot gold was little changed at $1,651.95 an ounce
by 0027 GMT, after rising for two consecutive sessions.	
    * U.S. gold edged down 0.2 percent to $1,652.50.	
    * Market sentiment improved on Monday on an improved outlook
in China, Germany and the United States, buoying commodities and
equities.   	
    * The euro zone debt crisis still looms large. International
creditors plan to resume talks with Greece on a debt swap plan
on Wednesday, after discussions stalled last week.
 	
    * India hiked its gold import duty by 90 percent and doubled
the tax on silver on Tuesday as the world's biggest consumer of
bullion seeks to increase revenues, sending futures prices
higher and hitting shares of jewellers. 	
    * Holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest
gold-backed exchange-traded fund, edged up 0.12 percent from the
previous session to 1,255.67 tonnes by Jan 17. 	
    * Gold may reach a record high above $2,000 an ounce in late
2012 or early 2013, but the precious metal is nearing the end of
a decade-long run that has lifted prices by more than 600
percent, metals consultancy GFMS said on Tuesday.
 	
    * For the top stories on metals and other news, click
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    MARKET NEWS	
    * U.S. stocks advanced on Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 to
its highest since early August, but sharply pared gains late in
the session as Citigroup's steep drop in profit gave investors a
reason to unload bank shares. 	
    * The euro clung on to most of its overnight gains in Asia
on Wednesday but came off its peak after disappointing earnings
from Citigroup took the shine off a batch of upbeat data from
China, Germany and the United States.  	
       	
    DATA/EVENTS	
       Goldman Sachs earnings              Q4                      
       BHP Billiton production report      Q4                      
 0430  Japan     Industrial output rev     Nov                     
 1245  U.S.      ICSC chain stores yy      Weekly                  
 1330  U.S.      PPI inflation yy, NSA     Dec                     
 1330  U.S.      Producer prices mm        Dec                     
 1330  U.S.      Producer prices, core mm  Dec                     
 1330  U.S.      Producer prices, core yy  Dec                     
 1415  U.S.      Industrial output mm      Dec                     
 1500  U.S.      NAHB housing market indx  Jan                     
     	
    PRICES	
     Precious metals prices 0027 GMT
  Metal             Last    Change  Pct chg  YTD pct chg    Volume
  Spot Gold        1651.95    0.76   +0.05      5.64
  Spot Silver        30.04   -0.02   -0.07      8.49
  Spot Platinum    1511.49   -8.76   -0.58      8.51
  Spot Palladium    646.97   -1.78   -0.27     -0.85
  COMEX GOLD FEB2  1652.50   -3.10   -0.19      5.47         2258
  COMEX SILVER MAR2  30.04   -0.10   -0.32      7.61          283
  Euro/Dollar       1.2741
  Dollar/Yen         76.78
  COMEX gold and silver contracts show the most active months
 	

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