Sept 20 (Reuters) - Gold edged up in Asian trade, extending gains into a second day, on expectations the Federal Reserve will leave U.S. interest rates unchanged at its two-day meeting that kicks off later on Tuesday.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was up 0.1 percent at $1,314.58 an ounce by 0050 GMT.
* U.S. gold futures GCcv1 were steady at $1,318 an ounce.
* The Fed's two-day meeting starts on Tuesday, where policymakers will debate the U.S. economy and its ability to absorb a rate hike. Fed Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to conclude the meeting with a press conference at 2:00 p.m. ET (1800 GMT) on Wednesday.
* The Bank of Japan may steal the thunder from the U.S. Federal Reserve and its chair Janet Yellen this week if it chooses to give more monetary stimulus in its latest effort to jumpstart its economy and the U.S. central bank decides to stand pat on rates. The Bank of Japan could shift negative interest rates to the primary focus of its monetary policy on Wednesday, heightening market disquiet over what any move away from quantitative easing reveals about the waning firepower of global central banks. U.S. Treasuries yields slipped on Monday as traders booked profits made on curve-steepening bets ahead of monetary policy meetings this week at the Bank of Japan and the U.S. Federal Reserve. Barrick Gold's Veladero gold mine in Argentina, one of its five core mines, could resume operations in the next two weeks, Barrick President Kelvin Dushnisky said in an interview on Monday. Harmony Gold acquired full ownership of Hidden Valley mine in Papua New Guinea. Newmont Mining (NYSE:NEM) Corp's NEM.N sale of its stake in the Batu Hijau mine in Indonesia may not close until the fourth quarter of the year, Chief Executive Gary Goldberg said on Monday, adding that the approvals process was complex. For the top stories on metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or GOL
MARKET REPORT
Asian shares edged lower on Tuesday as investors nervously waited on the outcomes of the Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan policy meetings that begin later in the session. MKTS/GLOB
DATA/EVENT AHEAD (GMT)
0600 Germany Producer prices
August
1230 U.S.
Housing starts
August
1230 U.S.
Building permits
August
Federal Open Market Committee starts two-day policy meeting