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CME enhances margins for copper futures after sizzling rally to record

The CME Group treked margin requirements for copper futures, which hit record highs this week as financiers with bearish positions were squeezed, attracting additional buying by speculators.

The copper rally that has actually seen CME rates jump almost 30% so far this year would likely remain on the boil in the short-term, including on the London Metal Exchange, analysts stated.

The U.S. exchange operator raised the outright margins on copper futures by $500 to $5,000 per contract, effective after the close of organization on Thursday, the CME's clearing home stated in a notification.

Sources told on Wednesday that the CME rally was partly fuelled by product traders Trafigura and IXM looking for physical copper to cover big bearish positions on the CME.

The hefty dive in CME copper rates has actually outpaced gains on the LME and created a chance for traders to buy on the LME and offer on the CME, understood are arbitrage trading.

We expect the Comex premium over LME to narrow as arbitrageurs deliver physical systems to the United States, however this will take time, Citi analyst Max Layton said in a note.

May Comex copper futures hit a record of $5.18 a pound on Wednesday and were down 0.1% at $4.96 on Thursday at 1122 GMT.

Analyst Ed Meir at broker Marex stated technical signals were not yet revealing a peak in Comex copper.

Although costs came off their highs, they still finished with decent gains, particularly in the forwards and therefore prevented the washout normally connected with a peak, he said in a note.

The Comex May contract at its peak was comparable to $11,414. per ton while the LME cost benchmark cost has actually risen as. far as $10,445.50 a lot and was up 2% at $10,418 on Thursday.

(source: Reuters)