Gold prices hold near 3-1/2 month highs; Trump economic policy in focus

Gold prices held firm on Monday near 3-1/2 month highs hit in the previous session, with investors waiting for greater clarity on President Donald Trump's economic policy. Spot gold was little changed at $1,256 per ounce at 0340 GMT. The metal hit its highest since Nov. 11 at $1,260.10 in the previous session. U.S. gold futures were also steady at $1,257.30. "The biggest driver of gold has been the relatively weak U.S. dollar. People think that ... Trump doesn't want a strong dollar and the market thinks that perhaps there would not be a rate hike in the first half of the year," said Jiang Shu, chief analyst at Shandong Gold Group. Investors are looking towards Trump's policy speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night where he is expected to provide clues on his plans to cut taxes. Future & Option Trading Tips

"The momentum has its own driving force," said Shu. "Since the beginning of the year, the gold price has always been on the rise. This will draw more and more momentum traders into the market."Hedge funds and money managers raised their net long position in COMEX gold to the highest in nearly three months during the week to Feb. 21. Speculators raised their net long position in bullion by 14,482 to 82,464 lots. "It also means that market sentiment is generally on the bullish side," Shu added. Holdings of the largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, have risen more than 5 percent this month. Spot gold is expected to rise to $1,278 per ounce, as it has more or less broken above resistance at $1,249, according to Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao. "We have a plethora of Federal governors speaking this week, including Janet Yellen, which should give the Street a lot more visibility into whether March's FOMC is live," said Jeffrey Halley, senior market analyst at OANDA.  Financial Astrology Tips