LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) - Gold held near earlier record highs in Europe on Thursday after hints of further policy easing from the Federal Reserve and a Moody's warning the United States may lose its top-notch credit rating hurt the dollar and sparked a rush towards safe-haven assets.
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PRICES
* Spot gold was bid at $1,586.70 an ounce at 0630 GMT compared with $1,581.75 late in New York on Wednesday. Earlier it hit a record $1,589.56.
* Silver was at $38.68 from $38.24.
* Platinum was at $1,761.85 from $1,752.
* Palladium was at $780.72 from $772.25.
DATA/EVENTS
* Euro zone final inflation for June, 0900 GMT.
* European Union, International Monetary Fund and European Central Bank hold news conference on Irish progress in Dublin.
* U.S. retail sales for June, 1230 GMT.
* U.S. PPI/core PPI for June, 1230 GMT.
* U.S. weekly jobless claims, 1230 GMT.
* Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivers semiannual testimony on U.S. monetary policy before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, 1400 GMT.
* U.S. Commerce Dept issues May business inventories, 1400 GMT.
MARKET NEWS
* The U.S. dollar was on the run in Asia on Thursday after a ratings warning from Moody's and a hint of further policy easing from the Federal Reserve unleashed a wave of panic selling, much to the relief of the hard-pressed euro.
* Oil slipped on growing concerns about the budget deficit and credit rating of top consumer the United States, putting the brakes on a rally sparked by the possibility of a new round of economic stimulus.
* The Nikkei stock average fell, and Hong Kong shares tumbled with Chinese financial names the biggest drags, after Moody's warning on a possible United States credit downgrade sent investors scurrying from riskier assets.
* The United States may lose its top-notch credit rating in the next few weeks if lawmakers fail to increase the country's legal borrowing limit and the government misses debt payments, Moody's Investors Service warned on Wednesday.
* U.S. President Barack Obama clashed with Republican lawmakers on Wednesday in a fierce White House meeting on deficit reduction that left a deal in question as the clock ticked toward a debt default.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Precious metals miner Fresnillo posted record silver and gold production in the second quarter, boosted by its Saucito and Soledad-Dipolos mines in Mexico, and said it remains on track to meet its full-year output guidance.
* Silver prices, deeply dented but unbroken by a rout in May, will climb steadily through the second half of the year as investors buy the metal as an alternative to expensive gold.
TECHNICALS
* Gold support was at $1,567 an ounce and resistance at $1,590. The 14-day RSI was at 81.0.
* Silver support was at $36.57 an ounce and resistance at $38.85. The 14-day RSI was at 63.7.
* Platinum support was at $1,717 an ounce and resistance at $1,784. The 14-day RSI was at 50.3. For related news and prices, click on the codes in brackets: Spot gold/silver Platinum/palladium Gold lease rates Comex gold futures <0#GC:> Europe/Asia prices
CBOT 100 oz gold futures <0#ZG:> RELATED NEWS AND OTHER TOPICS Precious metals news All metals news Metals summary Index of summaries All commodities news Metals diary Ldn Bullion Mkt Assoc Foreign exchange rates SPEED GUIDES
For Reuters Metals Production Database click on URL below http://mpd.session.rservices.com (Reporting by Jan Harvey; editing by James Jukwey)