Gold eyes first weekly gain in four despite better U.S. data

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Gold steadied on Friday after a 2 percent fall in the prior session on better-than-forecast U.S. jobs data, but despite losing some of its safe-haven status bullion was still on track for its first weekly rise in four.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,182.66 an ounce by 0042 GMT. Prices were set to see gains of around 0.4 percent for the week, the first weekly rise since early April.

* U.S. gold was flat at $1,182 an ounce.

* The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits tumbled to a 15-year low last week and consumer spending rose in March, signs the economy was regaining momentum after stumbling badly in the first quarter.

* Greece's government signalled the biggest concessions so far as talks with lenders on a cash-for-reforms package started in earnest on Thursday, but tried to assure leftist supporters it had not abandoned its anti-austerity principles.

* The euro stood at two-month highs against the dollar and yen early on Friday, having rallied for a second session on the back of another surge in German yields as fears of deflation in Europe eased just a little.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Ed Davies)