MANILA, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Gold steadied not far from a 5-1/2-year low early on Wednesday after comments from a Federal Reserve official backed investor expectations that the U.S. central bank would hike interest rates as early as next month.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Spot gold XAU= was little changed at $1,086.35 an ounce by 0037 GMT. Bullion has stayed largely below $1,100 since breaching that key support level in a late July rout that pulled the metal to as low as $1,077, its weakest since February 2010.
* U.S. gold for delivery in December GCcv1 slipped 0.4 percent to $1,086.20 an ounce.
* Atlanta Federal Reserve President Dennis Lockhart has said it would take "significant deterioration" in the U.S. economy for him to not support a rate hike in September, according to the Wall Street Journal. ID:nL1N10F25P
* Gold, an asset that does not earn interest, has taken a hit given rising risks of a U.S. rate hike. The Fed looks intent on lifting rates this year for the first time since 2006 as the U.S. economy strengthens, particularly its labour market.
* New orders for U.S. factory goods rebounded strongly in June on robust demand for transportation equipment and other goods, a hopeful sign for the struggling manufacturing sector. ID:nL1N10F1GD
* Holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust GLD , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, dropped further on Tuesday to 21.56 million ounces, the lowest since September 2008.
* Gold sales at the Perth Mint climbed to a nine-month high in July after a slide in prices of the precious metal to their lowest since 2010 drew buyers. ID:nL3N10F33O
* For the top stories on metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or GOL/
MARKET NEWS
* The dollar stood tall against the yen and euro after Fed's Lockhart expressed his support for an interest rate hike in September. USD/
* Asian shares markets dipped as the mounting risks of a hike in U.S. interest rates as early as next month lifted the dollar and sovereign bond yields, pressuring currencies across the region. MKTS/GLOB
DATA AHEAD (GMT)
0145 China
Caixin services PMI
July
0750 France
Markit services PMI
July
0755 Germany
Markit services PMI
July
0800 Euro zone
Markit services PMI
July
0900 Euro zone
Retail sales
June
1215 U.S.
ADP national employment
July
1230 U.S.
International trade
June
1400 U.S.
ISM non-manufacturing PMI
July