By Nicholas Larkin Nov. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Gold, little changed today in London, may decline as oil prices drop and the dollar gains, reducing the appeal of the metal as a hedge against inflation and a weaker U.S. currency. Crude oil slipped a fourth day on expectations U.S. inventories gained last week. The dollar traded close to a 2 1/2- year high against a basket of six major currencies. ``The dollar is still firm'' and falling equities and oil prices ``could put gold under pressure,'' Narayan Gopalakrishnan, a Geneva-based trader at MKS Finance, one of Switzerland's four bullion refiners, said by phone today. ``People are reluctant to put their money into anything at the moment.'' Gold for immediate delivery lost 61 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $737.54 an ounce by 9:34 p.m. in London. December futures were $4.50, or 0.6 percent, higher at $737.20 in electronic trading on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The Dollar Index was little changed at 87.271. It reached 88.147 on Nov. 13, the highest since April 2006. Among other metals in London, silver fell 0.9 percent to $9.56 an ounce. Platinum gained $7, or 0.8 percent, to $843 an ounce, and palladium was $1.75, or 0.8 percent lower, at $215.75 an ounce. To contact the reporter on this story: Nicholas Larkin in London at nlarkin1@bloomberg.net

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