Gold steady on Brexit concerns despite firmer equities

BENGALURU (Reuters) - Gold prices held steady in early Asian trade on Monday, underpinned by uncertainty following Britain's Brexit vote even as equity markets rallied on the back of upbeat U.S. jobs data.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold, which hit a low of $1,335.68 in the wake of Friday's better-than-expected U.S. jobs data, touched a high of $1,374.71 an ounce early Monday. It was down 0.1 percent at $1,365.10 at 0055 GMT.

* U.S. gold was up 0.6 percent at $1,366.80 an ounce.

* Asian share markets enjoyed a relief rally on Monday as upbeat U.S. jobs data lessened immediate concerns about the health of the world's largest economy, although long-run fallout from Brexit kept sovereign yields near record lows.

* U.S. job growth surged in June as manufacturing employment increased, more evidence the economy has regained speed after a first-quarter lull, but tepid wage growth could see the Federal Reserve remain cautious about hiking interest rates.

* U.S. employers have been adding enough jobs over the last six months to put the economy on track, but that prospect alone is unlikely to get the Fed to step on the brakes with interest-rate hikes.

* Wall Street's top banks were almost evenly split over whether the Fed would raise U.S. interest rates in 2016.

* Soft Chinese inflation and G20 concerns that a global recovery remains grim are hardening views among some economists that more government stimulus will be needed to support China, the world's second-biggest economy.

* Hedge funds and money managers again raised their net long positions in COMEX gold and silver contracts to record highs in the week to July 5, as safe-haven assets gained appeal after the vote by Britain to leave the EU, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data showed on Friday.

* Holdings in SPDR Gold Trust GLD, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.30 percent to 981.26 tonnes on Friday.

* The world's top platinum miners face tough wage talks next week with South Africa's hardline unions, having seen their balance sheets battered and the capacity for big pay hikes limited by low prices and the effects of a five-month strike in 2014.

* Investors poured record amounts into emerging market bonds and precious metals funds in the latest week, seeking both a return in a world of evaporating yields and safety amid a darkening economic outlook, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said on Friday.

(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Pullin)