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China rate cuts fuel copper's reach one-week peak

Copper rates reached oneweek highs on Monday as interest rate cuts in China raised hopes of more powerful need in the top customer in the middle of relentless fret about the country's ailing property sector.

Criteria copper on the London Metal Exchange ( LME) was up 0.8% at $9,707 a metric ton at 0935 GMT from an earlier session peak at $9,758.

China's rate

cuts were expected

, but the 25-basis-point cut was larger than the consensus and follows reductions to other policy rates last month as part of a package of stimulus steps to revive the economy.

Copper begins the week on the front foot buoyed by a. larger-than-expected cut in lending rates, a metals trader. stated, including that the 21-day moving average at $9,780 could. limitation gains.

China's economy grew at the

slowest rate because

early 2023 in the third quarter due to weak domestic. need, slowing export growth and a struggling property sector,. which represent substantial amounts of industrial metals. demand.

Markets are waiting for a clearer road map to put. China's economy back on a strong longer-term footing, but some. experts state its measures have to do with stabilising rather than. stimulating the economy.

The home market is still dealing with structural. challenges, primarily a shrinking population and. slowing urbanisation, stated Julius Baer expert Carsten Menke.

The federal government appears to be well aware of these. obstacles and hence refrains from pressing the marketplace with 'old. school' stimulus measures. This is not least because of a more. than adequate stock of ended up and unfinished home.

Also, a concern for the marketplace is copper stocks in. warehouses kept an eye on by the Shanghai Futures Exchange, which. increased 8% << CU-STX-SGH > last week to 168,425 lots, fuelling issue. about physical need throughout traditionally strong consumption. months in China.

In other metals, aluminium was up 0.7% at $2,630. a ton, zinc advanced 0.9% to $3,119, lead. pulled back 0.2% to $2,068, tin added 0.3% to $31,405 and. nickel increased 1.1% to $17,085.

(source: Reuters)