Gold swing one-week high as Fed salient only gradual rate hikes.

Gold prices rose to a one-week high on Thursday as the dollar fell after the U.S. Federal Reserve stuck to a less hawkish stance on further interest rate hikes this year.FUNDAMENTALSSpot gold rose 0.3 percent to USD 1,222.20 per ounce, the highest since March 7, at 0028 GMT.U.S. gold futures GCcv1 climbed 1.72 percent to $1,221.3.Holdings of SPDR Gold Trust, the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, rose 0.53 percent to 839.43 tonnes on Wednesday from 834.99 tonnes on Tuesday.The U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday for the second time in three months, a move spurred by steady economic growth, strong job gains and confidence that inflation is rising to the central bank's target.However, the central bank said in its policy statement that further hikes would only be "gradual," with officials sticking to their outlook for two more rate hikes this year and three more in 2018. The dollar wallowed at a one-month low early on Thursday after the Fed sounded less hawkish, while the euro stood tall as Dutch election exit polls gave the country's prime minister a big lead over his far-right rival.The dollar index against a basket of major currencies extended losses from the previous day, when it slid more than 1 percent, to touch 100.490 .DXY, its lowest since Feb. 17.The Netherlands' centre-right Prime Minister Mark Rutte roundly saw off a challenge by anti-Islam, anti-EU Geert Wilders in an election on Wednesday, early returns showed, a huge relief to other EU governments facing a wave of nationalism.Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) is set to launch clearing for London's benchmark gold price auction before participants are ready as it races to prevent rivals muscling in on the city's $5 trillion-a-year bullion market, market and banking sources said.DATA AHEAD (GMT)1200 Bank of England interest rate decision1230 U.S. Housing starts Feb1230 U.S. Building permits Feb1230 U.S. Weekly jobless claims1230 U.S. Philly Fed business index Mar.