Latest News

A lot of base metals slip on firmer dollar, lacklustre China data

Prices of most nonferrous metals fell on Tuesday, pushed by a firmer U.S. dollar and frustrating March information from leading metals customer China.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME). was down 0.9% at $9,490 per metric lot, as of 0756 GMT,. and the most-traded June copper agreement on the Shanghai Futures. Exchange (SHFE) closed down 0.5% at 76,730 yuan. ($ 10,598.94) a heap.

The dollar hit a five-month high after hotter-than-expected. U.S. retail sales figures raised more concerns about when the. U.S. Federal Reserve might start cutting rates of interest.

A firmer dollar makes greenback-priced metals more costly. to holders of other currencies.

In China, in spite of the economy growing faster than projection. in the first quarter, a raft of March signs including. residential or commercial property financial investment and commercial output revealed that domestic. demand stayed frail and is retarding total momentum.

The market is focusing more on the misses of industrial. production and retail sales of March and declining home sales,. said Sandeep Daga, a director at metals analysis company Metal. Intelligence Centre.

Bulls are ahead of themselves. (There is) no green shoot. They worked too hard versus the dollar strength and dull. physical market and leaned heavily on one-month's buying. managers index. Disappointment will follow.

Information released earlier this month revealed better-than-expected. manufacturing data in March, partly encouraging metals bull. to press copper costs to the greatest in nearly two years.

LME aluminium decreased 1.2% to $2,524 a lot, zinc. dropped 1.6% to $2,731, nickel shed 0.4% to. $ 17,775, lead edged down 0.2% at $2,181 and tin. lost 0.4% to $32,105.

SHFE aluminium dropped 3.3% to 20,165 yuan a heap,. nickel dropped 2.9% to 134,540 yuan, zinc. dropped 3.3% to 22,280 yuan, tin edged down 0.6% at. 253,620 yuan, while lead increased 0.9% to 16,940 yuan.

Prices of aluminium and nickel retreated after rallying on. Monday, as traders reassessed the effect of the new sanctions. against Russian metals.

For the leading stories in metals and other news, click. or

(source: Reuters)