Gold held steady on Thursday after hitting another record near $1,250 an ounce the previous day on continued worries about euro zone debt, while the world's largest gold-backed ETF reached a new all-time high.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Spot gold was at $1,236.85 an ounce by 0033 GMT, up 50 cents from New York's notional close on Wednesday, when it roared to record $1,248.15 on worries that a $1 trillion European rescue package will not solve the euro zone debt crisis.

* The world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Trust, said its holdings stood at a record high of 1,209.499 tonnes as of May 12, up 17.3490 tonnes from 1,192.150 tonnes in the previous business day.

* U.S. gold futures for June delivery fell $6.2 an ounce to $1,236.9 an ounce.

MARKET NEWS

* U.S. stocks capped their best three-day run in 10 months on Wednesday boosted by technology and industrial shares, after Spain unveiled an austerity plan that reassured investors Europe was addressing its fiscal ills. <.N>

* Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.4 percent on Thursday led by exporters such as Advantest <6857.T>, after Spain outlined measures to cut its deficit, easing fears that the Greek debt crisis could spread in Europe and sending European and U.S. stocks higher. <.T>

* The euro fell against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday as worries about euro zone economic growth blunted optimism about Spain's spending cuts and a successful bond sale in Portugal.

(Reporting by Lewa Pardomuan; Editing by Ed Lane)

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