CORRECTED-PRECIOUS-Gold little changed after US Fed holds rates steady

Corrects spot gold price to $2,761.79, not $2,671.79, in first bullet

Jan 30 (Reuters) - Gold prices were flat in early Asian hours on Thursday after the Federal Reserve's decision to hold interest rates steady offered little clarity on the U.S. monetary policy path this year.

FUNDAMENTALS

Spot gold XAU= were little changed at $2,761.79 per ounce, as of 0049 GMT. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 added 0.2% to $2,774.50.

The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday and its Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed would wait for signs of further progress on inflation, or of labor market weakness before it would cut interest rates further.

Higher interest rates dampen non-yielding bullion's appeal.

The Fed's rate decision on Wednesday was widely anticipated, following its rate cuts in 2024, which reduced the benchmark rate by a full percentage point.

Traders also digested U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats after the White House said he still plans to hit Mexico and Canada with steep tariffs on Saturday and he is "very much" considering some on China during the weekend.

Trump's policies, which are also being perceived as inflationary, could lead to the Fed keeping rates higher for longer and diminish gold's appeal as an inflation hedge.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank is all but certain to cut interest rates later in the day.

Elsewhere, London bullion market players are racing to borrow gold from central banks, following a surge in gold deliveries to the U.S. on speculation of potential import tariffs there.

Spot silver XAG= was up 0.2% at $30.85 per ounce, platinum XPT= added 0.7% to 952.49, and palladium XPD= gained 0.5% to $967.38.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0630 France GDP Preliminary QQ Q4

0900 Germany GDP Flash QQ SA, GDP Flash YY NSA Q4

1000 EU GDP Flash Prelim YY, GDP Flash Prelim QQ Q4

1000 EU Consumer Confid. Final Jan

1000 EU Unemployment Rate Dec

1315 EU ECB Refinancing Rate, ECB Deposit Rate Jan

1330 US GDP Advance Q4

1330 US Initial Jobless Clm 25 Jan, w/e

1530 US EIA-Nat Gas Chg Bcf, Nat Gas-EIA Implied Flow 24 Jan, w/e