0231 GMT — Gold prices are flat in early Asian trade as investors mull mixed cues and wait to see how long the so-called Santa Claus rally will last. The precious metal has consistently staged a strong rally in December for the last seven years, said Saxo’s head of commodity strategy Ole Hansen. Expectations that the Fed and global central banks will cut interest rates next year are lifting investor sentiment toward gold, he added. Lower bond yields and the weaker economic outlook are also supporting prices, Hansen said. The biggest risk now is that markets are too optimistic about rate cuts, he warned. Spot gold is flat at $2,019.18/oz.([email protected]; @ivy_jiahuihuang)