PRECIOUS-Gold rises over 2% as soft inflation data rekindles Fed rate-cut hopes

By Anmol Choubey and Anjana Anil

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Gold prices rose more than 2% on Friday and were headed for a weekly gain as weaker-than-expected U.S. inflation data reignited hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, offsetting concerns from stronger-than-expected jobs data earlier in the week.

Spot gold XAU= was up 2.1% at $5,022.06 per ounce as of 01:30 p.m. ET (1830 GMT), and up 1.2% so far this week. Bullion fell about 3% on Thursday, hitting its lowest in nearly a week.

U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for April delivery settled about 2% higher at $5,046.30 per ounce.

"Gold, and particularly silver, is enjoying a relief rally after a mild January CPI reading eased nerves stoked by Wednesday’s strong employment report," said Tai Wong, an independent metals trader.

CPI COMES IN LOWER THAN EXPECTED

Spot silver XAG= climbed 3.4% to $77.70 per ounce, snapping back from an 11% decline in the previous session. It was on track for a weekly loss of 0.3%.

The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.2% in January, below economists' expectations of a 0.3% increase, following an unrevised 0.3% gain in December, the Labor Department said.

Market participants currently anticipate a total of 63 basis points in rate cuts this year, with the first expected in July, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Non-yielding bullion tends to do well in low-interest-rate environments. FEDWATCH

Meanwhile, data on Wednesday showed the United States added 130,000 jobs in January, compared with analysts' estimates of 70,000.

China's gold demand stayed strong ahead of the Lunar New Year, while in India, the market flipped to a discount. GOL/AS

ANZ analysts raised their second-quarter gold forecast to $5,800/oz from $5,400, citing its appeal as an insurance asset, while noting that silver, though still supported by strong investment demand, may see its recent outperformance fade as industrial buyers balk at higher prices.

Spot platinum XPT= rose 3.8% to $2,075.93 per ounce and palladium XPD= was up 3.6% at $1,674.50. Both metals were set to notch weekly losses.