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Copper hits record high on momentum buying after China support steps

Copper costs rose to record high levels on Monday as China's home support steps and betterthanexpected industrial data added to momentum purchasing that has been fuelling base metals rates for the past month.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange increased 2.8% to $10,962.50 per metric lot by 0718 GMT, having surged as much as 4.1% earlier in the session to a historical high of $ 11,104.50.

The most-traded July copper agreement on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed 5.3% greater at 87,670 yuan ($ 12,124.52). a lot. Previously in the session, it was up 6.8% to a record high. of 88,940 yuan a ton.

China on Friday announced historic steps to stabilise its. crisis-hit property sector, while China's industrial output grew. above expectations at 6.7% year-on-year in April, helped by. enhancing external need.

A trader said the metal cost rally on Monday was. exacerbated by organized traders who simply chased after the greater. rates. LME copper has actually risen 28% up until now this year and SHFE. copper jumped 25% in the same duration.

The futures prices, nevertheless, do not reflect an improvement. in demand in the physical copper market. The premium to import. copper into China's Yangshan area was at no on Friday,. compared to $60 in March, reflecting weak import need. << SMM-CUYP-CN >

SHFE copper inventories << CU-STX-SGH > were last at 290,376. heaps, compared to 33,130 tons at the start of the year,. despite May being China's typically strong copper demand. season.

The force of financial investment inflows is so strong that it requires. something huge to stop. Chinese import slowdown, their export of. surplus metal, Trafigura's shipments reaching CME storage facilities. are most likely 'speed-breakers', stated Sandeep Daga, a director at. Metal Intelligence Centre.

A short-squeeze in the Comex copper contract, which. strike a record high recently, also propelled prices globally,. leading some traders to seek to buy physical metal and provide. them to U.S. warehouses.

If history is a guide, the worry of missing out will take. copper even greater before sanity returns in all markets together. as global downturn begins to cast its shadow, Daga said,. describing the oil market in 2008.

LME aluminium rose 0.6% to $2,628.50 a heap, zinc. climbed 1.3% to $3,070.50, lead increased 1.4%. to $2,316, tin advanced 1.1% to $34,625 and nickel. was up 2.6% at $21,625.

SHFE aluminium rose 0.6% to 20,945 yuan a lot,. nickel jumped 4.7% to 157,390 yuan, zinc. innovative 2% to 24,260 yuan, lead increased 0.5% to. 18,830 yuan and tin was up 0.9% at 277,020 yuan.

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(source: Reuters)