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Copper slips on rate of interest concerns, drab need in China

Copper prices dropped on Friday as fret about higher rate of interest and soft physical demand in China suppressed the appetite of financiers who had sent costs to tape-record highs.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.8% to $10,331.50 per metric ton by 1600 GMT.

The rally will likely continue in the medium to long term, however in the short term we have to respect the principles, stated Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank in Copenhagen.

LME copper touched a record high of $11,104.50 a load on Monday, driven by speculators and computer-driven funds, however is down about 3% on a weekly basis, on track for the worst week because the week ended Feb. 9.

We have to accept that the most recent rally has actually driven by monetary financiers, not by physical traders, in truth they have actually. been offering into it, provided the softness we're seeing in Chinese. data, which didn't enhance at all today, Hansen added.

Physical need in China, the world's greatest copper. customer, has been dampened by the high prices. The normal. premium to import copper into China has been flipped into a. discount given that mid-May. << SMM-CUYP-CN >

Also suppressing metals costs has actually been robust U.S. and German. financial data that reinforced prospects of rate of interest remaining. higher for longer on both sides of the Atlantic.

We have actually been searching for assistance in the metals area from the. prospect for restocking as interest rates began to come down,. but the prospect of U.S. rates being cut only once this year has. deflated some of the financial investment hunger, Hansen said.

A normalisation between London and New York futures also. weighed on prices after copper's rally was propelled by a brief. capture on the U.S. Comex exchange.

LME aluminium increased 1.5% to $2,661 a heap and nickel. gained 0.9% to $20,260, while tin shed 0.5% to. $ 33,275, zinc dipped 0.1% at $3,060.50 and lead. relieved 0.4% to $2,297.50.

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(source: Reuters)