Gold edges up after two-day drop in pre-holiday trade

* On Wednesday, Wall Street rallied, US Treasury yields rose and the dollar edged up after a three-day losing streak.

* Strong equities and dollar typically suppress demand for safe-haven gold.

* But the metal found some support in the energy markets, as oil rose more than 3 percent on Wednesday following a drop to multi-year lows earlier in the week.

* Gold is positively correlated to oil as the metal is seen as a hedge against oil-led inflation.

* Mixed US economic data also did not help gold find direction.

* New orders for US manufactured capital goods fell in November and the prior month's increase was revised sharply lower. But other data on Wednesday showed consumer sentiment at a five-month high in December and personal income rising for an eighth straight month in November.

* Gold prices have shed 9 percent so far this year, a third year of losses, mostly due to expectations the US Federal Reserve would raise interest rates, which it did this month.

* With the first US rate increase in nearly a decade out of the way, the focus is now on the pace of future hikes.

MARKET NEWS

* The dollar, euro and yen got off to a subdued start on Thursday in what is likely to be a languid session with much of the Western world already shuttered for the Christmas and year-end holidays.