LONDON: Gold prices slipped on Monday, as expectations of a US Federal Reserve interest rate hike this week strengthened after recent hot inflation data and rallying oil prices.

Spot gold was down 1.2 percent at $4,296.68 per ounce by 1216 GMT, after posting a third straight weekly decline on Friday. US gold futures dropped ‌1.7 percent to $4,335.40.

The dollar ‌firmed at an over one-week high, ​making greenback-priced ‌bullion ⁠more ​expensive for ⁠holders of other currencies.

“Markets are now fully pricing in a Fed rate hike following last week’s CPI data. At the same time, the renewed rise in oil prices could reinforce inflation concerns and keep the Fed on a hawkish footing,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

US consumer prices accelerated in August, while a key measure of ⁠underlying inflation posted its largest increase in four months, ‌data showed on Friday, reinforcing ‌US rate hike expectations.

Traders are pricing in ​about an 89 percent chance of ‌a rate hike at the central bank’s policy meeting this week, ‌up from about 67 percent prior to the inflation data last week, according to the CME FedWatch Tool.

Major banks such as Goldman Sachs and HSBC now expect the Fed to raise interest rates by 25 basis points ‌at its policy meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Bank of Japan is also expected to raise ⁠rates on ⁠Friday, amid rising energy prices and little sign of easing Middle East tensions.

Although gold is typically seen as an inflation hedge, higher interest rates tend to reduce the appeal of non-yielding bullion.