Aug 2 (Reuters) - Australian shares fell on Tuesday as market participants braced for a near-certain hike in interest rates, with losses in mining and energy stocks outweighing gains in technology and banking heavyweights.

The S&P/ASX 200 index slipped 0.5% to 6,959.0 by 0025 GMT and was on track to snap five straight sessions of gains.

Among global markets, Japan's Nikkei fell 0.9%, while S&P 500 E-minis futures slipped 0.2%.

With inflation soaring to a 21-year high of 6.1% last quarter, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) is expected to deliver a third consecutive 50-basis-point interest rate hike later in the day to get inflation within a preferable 2%-3% range.

Miners were the top laggards for the day, declining more than 1%. Heavyweights BHP Group, Rio Tinto and Fortescue Metals Group dropped between 1.3% and 3.1%.

Energy stocks also fell after oil prices sank about 4% overnight as weak manufacturing data clouded the demand outlook.

Sector majors Santos Ltd and Woodside Energy Group slipped 1% and 0.8%, respectively.

Technology stocks gained 0.7%, with ASX-listed shares of Block Inc adding 2.4%, while Xero Ltd rose 0.6%.

Financials inched higher, with three of the so-called "big four" banks trading in positive territory.

Gold Stocks edged higher after bullion prices hit one-month highs on a weaker U.S. dollar. Newcrest Mining , Australia's largest gold miner, rose 0.5%.

Across the Tasman Sea, the benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index fell 0.2% to 11,503.09. (Reporting by Jaskiran Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)