Gold steady after oil slides, funds eyed

TAIPEI, Dec 27 (Reuters) Gold held steady on Wednesday following a fall in international oil prices and fund buying on the first trading day in the United States after Christmas.

-- Spot gold was at $624.90/625.90 an ounce at 0037 GMT, against $624.20/625.20 late in New York, where earlier it had hit $629.50.

- The New York market resumed metals trading on Tuesday.

Traders in the London bullion market return later on Wednesday.

- Tokyo gold futures were in a holding pattern also, with the benchmark December 2007 contract future on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange slipping 2 yen to 2,416 yen per gram.

The key contract moved in a range of 2,404 to 2,415 yen.

- Oil fell to below $61 again on Wednesday, extending the previous day's drop of more than a dollar as concern about mild weather in the United States outweighed renewed geopolitical tension over Iran.

- The dollar was near a two-month peak against the yen of 119.23 hit on Tuesday, hovering just around the 119 level by 0045 GMT.

- Lacklustre Japanese economic data continues to fuel doubts about whether the Bank of Japan will lift rates in January.

- Silver was also mostly steady with late U.S.

levels at $12.65/2.72 an ounce.

- Palladium was at $323.00/8.00 an ounce from $325/9.00 in New York.

- Spot platinum was at $1,121/1,126 per ounce, against $1,119.00/$1,123.

Reuters SBA VP0702