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Nov 25 (Reuters) - Gold prices edged up on Wednesday helped by a weaker dollar, though a robust appetite for riskier assets kept the safe-haven metal near a more than four-month low hit in the previous session.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold rose 0.1% to $1,809.41 per ounce by 0124 GMT. Prices hit $1,800.01 on Tuesday, its lowest level since July 17.

* U.S. gold futures were up 0.2% at $1,807.60.

* The dollar index eased 0.1% against a basket of currencies, making bullion cheaper to other currency holders.

* U.S. president-elect Joe Biden moved swiftly to make Cabinet choices after defeating President Donald Trump, who gave the go-ahead for Biden to start receiving daily intelligence briefings, a sign he has all but accepted the result.

* Biden's formally approved transition and positive developments around a possible COVID-19 vaccine sparked a rally in U.S. equities with the Dow piercing the 30,000 level for the first time on Tuesday.

* Investors now await the FOMC's minutes from its last meeting due at 1900 GMT for clues on the direction of monetary policy.

* China's net gold imports via Hong Kong plunged about 84% in October from September's six-month peak, marking their steepest month-on-month decline since June, Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department data showed on Tuesday.

* Holdings of the SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, fell 1.1% to 1,199.74 tonnes on Tuesday from 1,213.17 tonnes on Monday.

* Silver rose 0.2% to $23.29 per ounce. Platinum

fell 0.2% to $959.64, while palladium eased 0.3% to $2,340.61.

DATA AHEAD (GMT)

1330 US Oct. Durable Goods

1330 US Weekly Initial Jobless Clm

1500 US Nov. Consumption Adjusted MM

1500 US Nov. U Mich Sentiment Final

1500 US Oct. New Home Sales-Units

1900 US Federal Open Market Committee will release minutes from its November 4-5 policy meeting

(Reporting by Nakul Iyer in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

((nakul.iyer@thomsonreuters.com; Within U.S. +1 646 223 8780, Outside U.S. +91 80 6749 0417; Reuters Messaging: nakul.iyer.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))