PRECIOUS-Gold hits record high as traders bet on US rate cuts, eye Powell's signal

Sept 23 (Reuters) - Gold prices climbed to a record high on Tuesday, supported by growing expectations of further U.S. rate cuts and a slightly weaker dollar, with investors awaiting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech for additional policy insights.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold XAU= was up 0.2% at $3,752.43 per ounce, as of 0123 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,758.03 earlier in the session.

* U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for December delivery climbed 0.3% to $3,787.60.

* The U.S. dollar index .DXY was down 0.1%, making greenback-priced gold cheaper for overseas buyers. USD/

* Investors are closely awaiting Powell's speech, due at 1635 GMT, for signals on the central bank's policy, alongside remarks from other Fed officials this week.

* New Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said on Monday that the Fed is misreading how tight it has set monetary policy and will put the job market at risk without aggressive rate cuts, a view countered in remarks by three of his colleagues who feel the central bank needs to remain cautious about inflation.

* Last week, the U.S. central bank cut rates by 25 basis points, citing labour market conditions and indicated more cuts would come at its upcoming meetings, but also warned about sticky inflation.

* According to the CME FedWatch tool, investors see a 90% probability of a 25-basis-point rate cut in October and a 75% chance of another in December.

* SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings rose 0.60% to 1,000.57 tons on Monday from 994.56 tons on Friday.

* Safe-haven gold, which typically performs well in a low-interest-rate environment has risen nearly 43% this year, driven by broader geopolitical and economic uncertainty, central bank buying, and monetary policy easing.

* Spot silver XAG= fell 0.2% to $43.98 per ounce, hovering near a 14-year high. Platinum XPT= gained 0.3% to $1,420.45 and palladium XPD= rose 0.9% to $1,189.84.

Reuters Terminal users can see related news and prices by clicking on the codes in brackets:
All precious metals headlines           GOL
Precious metals market reports          GOL/
European gold prices                    GOLD/EU1GOLD/EU20#PREC
London Bullion Market Association       LBMA01
New York Comex gold 0#GC: and silver  0#SI:
New York platinum 0#PL: and palladium 0#PA: