PRECIOUS-Gold slips from near 2-week high, traders weigh US rate cut chances

By Noel John

Nov 27 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged lower on Thursday, easing from a near two-week high hit in the previous session, while investors assessed the likelihood of a U.S. interest rate cut in December.

Spot gold XAU= was down 0.2% at $4,156.89 per ounce, as of 1216 GMT. U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for December delivery slipped 0.2% to $4,154.40 per ounce.

"We still expect the consolidation that started with the October setback to continue as the dust of that setback has not fully settled yet," said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke.

Bullion has fallen 5% since hitting a record high of $4,381.21 on October 20, but has broadly traded above the key 4,000 an ounce level.

"The factors we see in favour of the gold market are largely unchanged, including slowing U.S. growth leading to lower interest rates and a weaker U.S. dollar, sustained safe-haven demand and continued strong central bank buying," Menke added.

Conflicting signals from the Federal Reserve on the timing and size of U.S. interest rate cuts have accelerated hedging flows into swaptions and derivatives tied to overnight rates.

Kevin Hassett, who has emerged as a frontrunner to replace Jerome Powell as Fed Chair, has aligned with President Donald Trump in advocating a rate cut.

Meanwhile, comments this week from San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank President Mary Daly and Fed Governor Christopher Waller also bolstered expectations of a cut.

Traders are now pricing in an 85% chance of a rate cut next month compared with just 30% a week earlier, CME FedWatch showed.

Non-yielding gold tends to perform well in a low-interest-rate environment.

U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday and will operate on a shortened schedule on Friday.

Elsewhere, spot silver XAG= rose 0.1% to $53.39 per ounce, platinum XPT= gained 0.9% to $1,602.10, and palladium XPD= was steady at $1,422.65.