US MIDDAY: copper rises

Copper prices rose on Thursday on healthy US economic data and supply worries after a declaration of force majeure at the world's biggest copper mine, but uncertainty over US debt talks capped gains. In New York, the key September COMEX contract advanced by 2.30 cents to finish at $4.4695 per lb.
The metal, used in power and construction, hit a session high of $9,851 a tonne after data showed pending sales of existing US homes unexpectedly rose in June. Better-than-expected weekly US jobless claims added support to copper's price rise.