SINGAPORE, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Gold was digesting the aftermath of a four-day losing streak on Thursday, trading near its lowest in two weeks, after strong U.S. private-sector jobs data bolstered views that the Federal Reserve will hike rates this year.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold was little changed at $1,115.45 an ounce by 0040 GMT, not far from a two-week low of $1,111.60 hit in the previous session. The metal has lost 3.4 percent in the last four sessions.
* Data on Wednesday showed U.S. companies hired workers at a solid clip in September, adding a more-than-expected 200,000 jobs.
* Though other data showed factory activity in the U.S. Midwest contracted, investors cheered the jobs data, sending the dollar up on hopes of a rate hike this year.
* Gold has come under pressure from expectations that the Fed is set to hike rates this year, potentially lifting the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion while boosting the dollar, in which it is priced.
* Investors will be watching U.S. non-farm payrolls data due on Friday for more clues about the strength of the economy and how it could affect a rate hike timing.
* Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.48 percent to 687.42 tonnes on Wednesday, but the gain failed to support prices.
* Spot platinum XPT= edged up 0.4 percent to $908.15.
* The metal had fallen to $894, its lowest since Dec. 2008, earlier this week on fears that revelations of Volkswagen (XETRA:VOWG)'s falsification of U.S. vehicle emission tests could affect demand for diesel cars.
* Platinum is widely used in emissions-controlling automotive catalytic converters, particularly for diesel engines.
* Elsewhere, the global silver-coin market is in the grips of an unprecedented supply squeeze, forcing some mints to ration sales and step up overtime while sending U.S. buyers racing abroad to fulfil a sudden surge in demand.
MARKET NEWS
* Global equities ended their worst quarter since the 2011 euro zone crisis on an upbeat note with a rally on Wednesday on hopes that Wall Street had bottomed and the commodities rout was over, while the dollar also rose.
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
0100 China NBS non-mfg PMI Sep
0100 China NBS manufacturing PMI Sep
0145 China Caixin mfg PMI final Sep
0145 China Caixin svcs PMI Sep
0800 EZ Markit mfg final PMI Sep
0830 EZ Sentix index Oct
0900 EZ Retail sales Aug
1345 U.S. Markit mfg PMI final Sep
1400 U.S. Construction spending Aug
1400 U.S. ISM manufacturing Sep
1730 U.S. Total vehicle sales Sep
PRICES AT 0040 GMT
Metal
Last
Change Pct chg
Spot gold
1115.45
0.85
0.08 Spot silver
14.5 -0.01
-0.07 Spot platinum
908.15
3.9
0.43 Spot palladium
651.75
1.25
0.19 Comex gold
1115.1
-0.1
-0.01 Comex silver
14.505 -0.013
-0.09
COMEX gold and silver contracts show the most active months