PRECIOUS-Gold scales new high as dollar weakens ahead of Fed meeting

Sept 16 (Reuters) - Gold prices scaled a record peak on Tuesday, supported by a weaker dollar ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting this week, where the central bank is widely expected to cut borrowing rates.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold XAU= rose 0.1% to $3,680.17 per ounce as of 0109 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,689.27 earlier in the session.

* U.S. gold futures GCcv1 for December delivery were flat at $3,718.80.

* The dollar .DXY traded near a 2-1/2-month low against the euro and close to a 10-month trough versus the risk-sensitive Aussie. A weaker greenback makes gold less expensive for other currency holders. USD/

* U.S. President Donald Trump in a social media post on Monday called for Fed Chair Jerome Powell to enact a "bigger" cut to benchmark interest rates.

* Traders are pricing in a near-certain 25-basis-point (bps) rate cut at the end of the two-day meeting on September 17, with a small chance of a 50 bps reduction, per the CME FedWatch tool.

* Lower interest rates reduces the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion.

* SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund (ETF), said its holdings rose 0.21% to 976.80 tonnes on Monday from 974.80 tonnes on Friday. GOL/ETF

* Meanwhile on Monday, a U.S. appeals court refused to allow Donald Trump to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook - the latest step in a legal battle that threatens the Fed's longstanding independence.

* Elsewhere, spot silver XAG= held steady at $42.71 per ounce, platinum XPT= eased 0.1% to $1,399.40 and palladium XPD= gained 0.4% to $1,188.59.