A worker monitors a process inside the plant at the copper refinery of CodelcoVentanas in Ventanas city, Chile.  (Reuters Photo)

HANOI- Most nonferrous metals rose on Monday, buoyed by a softer dollar amid expectation of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve this week.

Three-month aluminum on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.9 percent to $2,492.50 a metric ton. Earlier in the session, the contract hit the highest level since Aug. 30 at $2,494.50.

Trading volume was tepid as markets in China are closed on Sept. 16-17 for a public holiday.

The Fed is nearly as likely to deliver an outsized interest-rate cut as a more-usual-sized reduction, trading in rate-futures contracts suggested, as financial markets priced in a bigger chance that the Fed will move more aggressively.

A rate cut would support economic growth and physical metals demand, as well as putting pressure on the dollar.

The dollar index eased to hover near its lowest since Sept. 5. A softer dollar makes greenback-priced metals cheaper to holders of other currencies.

LME zinc increased 0.7 percent to $2,925.50, having also hit its highest since Aug. 30 earlier in the session at $2,928. Lead was up 0.2 percent at $2,048 and tin edged up 0.3 percent to $31,895.

Meanwhile, weekend data showed that industrial output growth in top metals consumer China slowed to a five-month low in August, while retail sales and new home prices weakened further.

LME copper fell 0.3 percent to $9,277.50 a ton and nickel eased 0.2 percent to $15,915.

The sluggish Chinese data, however, bolstered the case for aggressive stimulus to shore up the world’s second-biggest economy and help the country achieve its annual growth target pushed by President Xi Jinping.