Gold near seven-and-a-half months high on safe-haven demand

Gold was holding near a 7-1/2-month high on Wednesday as risk aversion sent investors to the safe-haven asset amid a tumble in global stock markets and concerns over the global economy.FUNDAMENTALS* Spot gold ticked up 0.2 percent to USD 1,190.81 an ounce by 0042 GMT. The metal had climbed to USD 1,200.60 on Monday, the highest since June 2015.* US gold futures eased 0.6 percent to USD 1,191.40 after recent gains. Spot silver rose 0.2 percent to USD 15.26 an ounce, not far from a three-month high of USD 15.46 reached on Monday.* Bullion has recently rallied along with other safe-haven assets such as the Japanese yen and US Treasuries.* Equity markets were hit hard early in the week by worries about the health of the euro zone banking sector, with a very easy monetary policy seen crimping bank profits and consequently their ability to repay debt.* Asian stocks dipped early on Wednesday amid banking sector concerns, while European shares plunged for a second straight day on Tuesday.* The dollar nursed losses around 3-1/2-month lows on Wednesday, pressured by the spectre of a global economic slowdown as European banks struggled to fend off growing doubts over their health and as oil prices slipped back.* A softer greenback makes dollar-denominated gold cheaper for foreign currency holders.* The price rally in gold has hurt demand from physical buyers of the metal.* SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.21 percent to 702.03 tonnes on Tuesday.* Gold prices in India slipped to a record discount as traders struggled to draw buyers. Dealers were offering a record discount of up to USD 25 an ounce.* Markets will be eyeing Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen's address to the US Congress later in the session for fresh cues. Investors will be looking for clues on the pace at which the US central bank would be increasing interest rates