SINGAPORE, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Gold held steady on
Tuesday, as investors remain focused on the development in
Greece's struggle with its debt crisis after Athens delayed its
decision on accepting the terms of a new bailout.	
    	
    FUNDAMENTALS	
    * Spot gold was little changed at $1,718.59 an ounce
by 0041 GMT, after touching a 1-1/2-week low of $1,711.29 in the
previous session.	
    * U.S. gold edged down 0.2 percent to $1,721.50.	
    * Greece on Monday delayed its decision on whether to accept
the terms of a new bailout for yet another day. Failure to
strike a deal could push Greece into a chaotic debt default.
 	
    * Market participants are also awaiting a rate decision by
Australia's central bank later in the day. The Reserve Bank of
Australia is expected to further ease interest rates as the
Europe debt woes drag on. 	
    * Major bullion bank HSBC said it was keeping its 2012
average gold forecast at $1,850 an ounce due to accommodative
global monetary policies and investor jitters about financial
markets. 	
    * Platinum output in South Africa is likely to end up lower
than forecast this year due to snowballing labour and safety
stoppages, supporting metal prices but boosting costs for
producers and dampening share prices. 	
    * Spot platinum lost 0.2 percent to $1,618.75, up
about 16 percent so far this year, after a 21-percent decline in
2011.	
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    MARKET NEWS	
    * U.S. stocks closed slightly lower on Monday as lingering
questions about Europe's debt crisis and corporate earnings
overshadowed growing optimism about economic growth after a
five-week rally. 	
    * The euro held steady in Asia on Tuesday as markets
remained sanguine that Greece will eventually clinch a rescue
package, even as the country's political leaders delayed their
decision to accept painful terms by yet another day. 	
   	
 DATA/EVENTS	
       Xstrata Plc earnings                 Q4                     
 0330  Australia  RBA cash rate Final       Feb                    
 1100  Germany   Industrial output mm       Dec 2011               
 1245  U.S.      ICSC chain stores yy       Weekly                 
 2350  Japan     Bank lending yy            Jan                    
    	
 PRICES	
 Precious metals prices 0041 GMT
  Metal             Last    Change  Pct chg  YTD pct chg    Volume
  Spot Gold        1718.59   -0.61   -0.04      9.90
  Spot Silver        33.61   -0.02   -0.06     21.38
  Spot Platinum    1618.75   -3.24   -0.20     16.21
  Spot Palladium    700.38   -2.59   -0.37      7.34
  COMEX GOLD APR2  1721.50   -3.40   -0.20      9.87         1269
  COMEX SILVER MAR2  33.64   -0.12   -0.34     20.49         1171
  Euro/Dollar       1.3121
  Dollar/Yen         76.53
  COMEX gold and silver contracts show the most active months

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