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Copper prices increase as cooling United States inflation boosts rate cut hopes

Copper costs bounced on Wednesday and the dollar toppled after coolerthanexpected U.S. inflation data improved expectations that the Federal Reserve could cut rates of interest as soon as September.

Headline inflation, a crucial sign for the Fed's rate policy, was flat last month, below expectations for a 0.1% gain.

Standard copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME). jumped immediately after the inflation data release. It quickly. surged above $10,000 and was last trading up 1.8% at $9,937.5 a. ton at 1600 GMT.

The red metal hit seven-week lows of $9,680 a heap on Tuesday. and has pulled back 11% from its all-time high of $11,104.5 on May. 20.

Traders said expectations of a dovish statement from the Fed. when it wraps up a policy conference later in the day and a lower. U.S. dollar - that makes dollar-priced metals cheaper for. holders of other currencies - had activated buying across the. board in industrial metals.

In regards to principles, long-term demand chauffeurs for. copper, including expert system, are yet to actualise,. stated Dan Smith, head of research at Amalgamated Metal Trading.

Copper demand has struck a soft patch with more wire rod. plants cutting operation in May after a sharp rally, he said.

High stock levels pointed to a lacklustre purchasing. appetite. Copper stock remained at a four-year high of. 336,964 tonnes in warehouses kept track of by the Shanghai Futures. Exchange (ShFE). << CU-STX-SGH >

For other metals, tin leapt 4.4% to $33,305, after. a dip to a one-month low recently. It increased above the 21-day and. 55-day moving average to show additional uptrends.

It has acquired about 32% so far this year.

We have seen some dip-buying by algorithmic traders in the. previous couple of days. Tin stocks are likewise reducing, a tin trader. stated.

Algorithmic trading models, based on technical signals to. purchase or sell, have been working better in smaller markets like. nickel, tin and zinc, Smith said.

ShFe's tin inventory has dropped 9.4% considering that the start of. June, to 16,297 tons. << SN-STX-SGH >

Aluminium was up 1.3% at $2,566, zinc. rose 4% to $2,879.5, lead ticked up 0.8% to $2,173 and. nickel was up 0.7%, at $17,935.

(source: Reuters)