Gold futures fell 1.10% to $3,980.80 per ounce, breaching the $4,000 mark, as inflation concerns and interest rate hike expectations triggered a sell-off, leading to a nearly 4% weekly decline. Rising oil prices exacerbated inflation fears and expectations of higher interest rates, putting pressure on gold. Saxo Bank warned that short-term speculative selling is currently outweighing long-term investor demand. Analysts suggest that for gold to sustain a recovery, energy prices may need to stabilize and forced selling to end.