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Copper increases on falling stocks, improving demand

Copper rates rose on Thursday, supported by falling metal inventories, relieving concerns over a. prospective U.S. financial recession and demand showing indications of. enhancement in China.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange fell. 0.2% to $9,281 per metric load by 0451 GMT, and the most-traded. September copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange. sophisticated 0.4% to 74,000 yuan ($ 10,375.48) a heap.

The macroeconomic background is not looking as gloomy as. recently feared. Fundamentals are showing indications of enhancement. too, said ANZ expert Soni Kumari, describing possible output. cuts for copper, aluminium, nickel and zinc.

Earlier this month, fears of a looming U.S. economic downturn. forced LME copper cost to its lowest considering that March at $8,714 a. lot. But the more affordable metal cost improved physical demand, and. more favorable U.S. data recently eased fret about a hard. landing.

Inventories are retreating and contango forward curve is. narrowing ... suggesting a tighter market. Downstream demand is. showing indications of improvement also for copper and aluminium,. she included.

SHFE copper stocks << CU-STX-SGH > fell 8% last week, the. greatest weekly fall considering that December in 2015. LME inventories. << MCUSTX-TOTAL > likewise eased just recently.

SHFE zinc climbed as much as 1.7% to 23,780 yuan a. lot, its greatest given that July 18. LME zinc rose to as high. as $2,870 a lot, a level hidden because July 17.

Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Chinese zinc smelters. were talking about possible output cuts after tight materials of. concentrates forced spot processing fees into unfavorable. area.

Chinese smelters are suffering big financial losses now. with such low treatment charges and a couple of smelters that can not. acquire enough concentrates need to cut production, said CRU. expert Dina Yu.

LME nickel fell 0.4% to $16,845 a heap, while tin. increased 0.4% to $32,835, aluminium increased 0.3%. to $2,494 and lead rose 0.3% to $2,092.

SHFE aluminium rose 0.7% to 19,880 yuan a ton, tin. increased 1.2% to 267,280 yuan while nickel. fell 0.7% to 130,070 yuan and lead shed 0.5% to 17,530. yuan.

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(source: Reuters)