Feb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. gold and copper futures rose
Friday as optimism about a Greek debt rescue package boosted
investors' risk appetite across the board.
FUNDAMENTALS
* U.S. gold futures rose, set for their first weekly gain in
three weeks, as growing confidence in a prompt deal between
European leaders and Greece over its second bailout boosted
investment buying.
* China's central bank, flush with foreign reserves, may be
behind the surge in the country's gold imports late last year,
but industry sources said the bank usually favours sourcing gold
domestically over direct buying from overseas.
* Copper futures rose as hopes that Greece is now close to
securing a second bailout boosted market sentiment but the metal
was still on track for its second weekly loss running,
reflecting scarce demand from top consumer China.
ECONOMY
* U.S. January Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.2 percent,
below economists' consensus estimate of a 0.3 percent gain.
MARKETS
* World shares rose and the euro gained on hopes that Greece
would seal a long-awaited bailout to stave off debt default.
* Crude oil held steady on tension between Iran and the West
over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program and optimism over
Greece's bailout.
