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TOKYO, Aug 3 (Reuters) Gold edged higher on Friday as signs that equity markets are stabilising encouraged investors to buy the key commodity.

-- Spot gold was trading at $665.80/666.40 an ounce as of 0031 GMT, compared with $664.30/664.90 late in New York on Thursday.

-- Earlier this week, risk aversion in financial markets, triggered by a sell-off in global stocks amid U.S. credit woes, had pulled down gold to a low of $659 on Wednesday.

-- Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei stock average <.n225> rose 0.5 percent on Friday with investors picking up exporters such as Sony Corp. after another day of gains on Wall Street and a slightly softer yen.

-- U.S. crude oil held onto gains from the previous day and traded at $76.86 a barrel, near the all-time high of $78.77 marked on Wednesday. Oil rose in New York on Thursday as OPEC officials said the producer group would not hike output despite concerns of a supply shortfall.

-- The dollar steadied against the yen on Friday, holding above a four-month low. The euro held its gains against the dollar after the European Central Bank left interest rates on hold at 4 percent, hinting at a possible September hike.

-- Bullion held by StreetTRACKS Gold Shares , the world's largest gold exchange-traded fund, surged to a record high, signalling growing interest in the precious metal as a portfolio diversifier. [ID:N02228540] -- The key June 2008 gold futures on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange was at 2,581 yen a gram, up 16 yen or 0.6 percent from the previous close. The contract hit a low of 2,527 yen on Wednesday, the lowest for any benchmark since late March.

-- The benchmark June TOCOM platinum futures gained 25 yen a gram or 0.5 percent to 4,902 yen. On Wednesday the contract hit a three-month low of 4,828 yen.

-- Cash platinum traded at $1,281/1,286 an ounce, little changed from New York.

-- Cash silver was at $12.97/13.00 an ounce, versus $12.94/12.99 in New York. Palladium was flat at $362/367 an ounce.

REUTERS SAM BST0655