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London copper rates fall on short-covering

Copper rates in London fell on Tuesday on shortcovering after prices rallied in the previous sessions on indications of enhancing demand in top consumer China and U.S. rate cut hopes.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.4% to $9,219.50 per metric heap by 0400 GMT, while the most-traded September copper agreement on the Shanghai Futures Exchange advanced 0.4% to 73,900 yuan ($ 10,338.56) a. load.

The current rate increase is from short-covering, said. Hong Kong-based expert Matt Huang at broker BANDS Financial,. referring to bearish copper position holders having to close. their positions when rates rise to tame losses.

September open interest for copper has dropped to 67,000. lots from 107,000 lots a week earlier, while December contracts only. increased by less than 10,000 lots, suggesting there is little. agreement rollover, according to Huang.

( We are) not seeing any new long positions opened. The. market requires to see more powerful indications of demand recovery in China,. Huang included.

Chinese physical copper demand has actually enhanced slightly in the. previous couple of weeks, as rates fell 4.4% in June and 3.9% in July. However a strong intake rebound is still uncertain amidst slowing. financial development and difficulties in the country's home sector.

A strike at Escondida, the world's most significant copper mine, was. likewise prevented, easing supply issues and pushing copper. prices.

The LME money copper agreement traded at a discount of over. $ 100 a heap to the three-month contract << CMCU0-3 >, indicating. abundant near-term supply.

LME aluminium declined 0.6% to $2,431.50 a ton,. nickel fell 0.4% to $16,605, zinc reduced 0.2% to. $ 2,782.50, tin dropped 0.8% to $32,315 and lead. was flat at $2,039.

SHFE aluminium rose 0.9% to 19,660 yuan a load,. nickel increased 0.6% to 129,630 yuan, tin. sophisticated 0.3% to 263,420 yuan while zinc fell 0.3% to. 23,210 yuan and lead decreased 0.5% to 17,565 yuan.

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(source: Reuters)