TOKYO, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Gold eased on Monday as the dollar held firm after rising against the euro and sterling the previous business day on a strong U.S. housing report and bleak UK economic data. FUNDAMENTALS * As of 0005 GMT, spot gold XAU= was down 0.1 percent at $1,052.4 an ounce from New York's notional close of $1,053.95. * U.S. gold futures for December delivery GCZ9 eased 0.3 percent to $1,053.4 an ounce, compared with $1,056.40 on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. * The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD: Quote, Profile, Research), said its holdings stood at 1,108.094 tonnes as of Oct. 23, unchanged from the previous business day. [GOL/SPDR] * Noncommercial net long U.S. gold futures positions fell 1.5 percent to 250,107 lots in the week to Oct. 20 from a record 253,955 lots the week before, the weekly Commitments of Traders report published by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission showed. [ID:nN23120860] MARKET NEWS * Japan's Nikkei stock average opened down 0.1 percent. [.T] * U.S. stocks fell on Friday, with the major indexes slipping for the first week in three, as industrial companies' weak results overshadowed robust earnings from tech and retail heavy-weights. [.N] * The dollar was firmer on Monday after soaring against sterling on Friday when data showed the UK economy was still mired in recession, stunning investors who had expected it to return to growth. * The dollar rose to a one-month high of around 92.20 early on Monday JPY= while the euro eased to just below $1.5 EUR=. The single currency has climbed more than 7 percent against the dollar this year, rising above $1.5 last week on expectations U.S. interest rates will remain low well into next year. [USD/] * Gold has gained on the dollar's decline, as a weaker dollar boosts investor interest in gold as a hedge and makes bullion cheaper for non-dollar holders. DATA, EVENTS * The following data and events are expected on Monday: ECON - German GFK index for November. (0700 GMT) - ECB governing council member and Bank of France Governor Christian Noyer attends forum. (N/A) - Chicago Fed national activity index for September. (1230 GMT) - Chicago Fed Midwest manufacturing index for September. (1600 GMT) RELATED NEWS >Gold drops as dollar rebounds [GOL/] >Turkish gold imports to hit low in'09 [ID:nSP459235] >Russia to sell 20-50 T gold in '09 - source [ID:nLN274842] >U.S. home sales scale 2-year high in September [ID:nN239552] >Oil falls toward $80 as dollar firms, stocks dip[ID:nSP188331] PRICES Precious metals prices at 0007 GMT Metal Last Change Pct chg Day ago pct MA 30 RSI Spot gold $1052.60 -$1.35 -0.13% +17.35% $860.10 55 Spot silver $17.56 -$0.09 -0.51% +46.58% $11.29 55 Spot plat $1352.50 -$6.00 -0.44% -0.44% $1323.02 56 COMEX gold $1053.70 -$4.90 -0.46% -1.01% $1028.87 59 TOCOM gold 3,125 -34 -1.08% -0.64% 3,001 71 TOCOM plat 4,018 -37 -0.91% -1.23% 3,853 68 Currencies Euro/dlr $1.498 -$0.001 -0.08% -0.11% Dlr/yen 91.99 -0.12 -0.13% -0.05%

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