By Kim Kyoungwha July 27 (Bloomberg) -- Gold, little changed in Asian trading, may rise as equity markets advanced and the dollar declined, boosting demand for the precious metal. Bullion gained as much as 0.2 percent as the MSCI Asia Pacific Index of equities climbed for a 10th day to the highest since Sept. 30 and the dollar traded near a seven-week low against the euro. A weaker U.S. currency typically increases the allure of gold as a store of value. “With stocks and oil prices buoyant, sentiment for gold is being well supported,” said Han Sung Min, a commodities trader with KEB Futures Co. in Seoul. “The favorable atmosphere for commodities overall, rather than the dollar, is the key driving force today.” Gold for immediate delivery climbed as high as $952.93 an ounce and last traded at $952.38 an ounce at 10:04 a.m. in Singapore. The metal will trade between $924 and $970 this week, said Chris Yu, head of the overseas market trading team with Samsung Futures Co. in Seoul. Fourteen of 24 traders, investors and analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News, or 58 percent, said bullion may rise. Six forecast lower prices and four were neutral. Among other precious metals for immediate delivery, silver was little changed at $13.89 an ounce, platinum gained 0.8 percent to $1,197 an ounce and palladium was little changed at $260.25 an ounce as of 10:19 a.m. in Singapore. To contact the reporter on this story: Kyoungwha Kim in Singapore at Kkim19@bloomberg.net

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