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Aluminium strikes 5-week high on fund buying, alumina shortage

Aluminium costs struck their fiveweek high on Tuesday on increased fund purchasing and a. lack of raw material in top producer China.

Three-month aluminium on the London Metal Exchange. earlier touched $2,482 per metric heap, the highest because July. 15. It last traded 1% up at $2,470 at 1028 GMT.

The momentum continued after a strong rally of 3.4% in the. previous session breaking the 50-day moving average.

Aluminium was too cheap one month back. Funds are choosing. up, now the rally is restoring its reasonable value. Daniel Smith. with Amalgamated Metal Trading Ltd said.

Negative sentiment is fading from investors, with some. commodity trading advisor (CTA) funds beginning to construct a. net-long position in the light metal, he stated.

Also supporting aluminium rates are China's unexpected. growth in import in spite of robust domestic production, Smith stated.

China brought 129,898 tonnes of main aluminium in July,. up 11.5% year on year, customs information revealed on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the raw product of making aluminium ended up being. more expensive. China's alumina futures hit a near three-month high. due to increasing usage. Cuts in alumina refineries of Alcoa. and Rio Tinto in Australia also strained supply.

Over 30% of alumina stocks were withdrawn from. storage facilities in kept an eye on by Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE) in. the past three weeks, as revenue in making primary aluminium. enhanced.

LME copper increased 0.1% to $9,461.50 a heap, nickel. increased 1% to $16,825, zinc edged up 1.2% at. $ 2,819, tin was up 0.6% at $32,760 and lead. advanced 1% to $2,060.

(source: Reuters)