HANOI: Nickel prices jumped to a record high in Shanghai and surpassed a seven-year high in London on Friday, boosted by robust demand and dwindling inventories. The most-traded October nickel contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange advanced as much as 4.1% to 155,140 yuan ($24,065.40) a tonne. Three-month nickel on the London Metal Exchange hit $20,705 a tonne, its highest since May 2014, before easing to trade at $20,550 a tonne, still up 1.8% at 0350 GMT. ShFE nickel inventories were last at 5,950 tonnes, hovering near a record low of 4,455 tonnes hit in August, while LME nickel stocks fell to their lowest since January 2020 at 181,368 tonnes.

LME aluminium hits its highest since August 2008 at $2,886.50 a tonne and ShFE aluminium increased as much as 2.8% to 22,870 yuan a tonne, a level unseen since March 2008, on supply worries in China and Guinea.

LME copper increased 1.2% to $9,499 a tonne, LME tin advanced 1.1% to $33,665 a tonne, ShFE copper rose 1.7% to 69,980 yuan a tonne, and ShFE tin hit a record high of 256,960 yuan a tonne.

China's major copper smelters lifted August refined cathode output by 2.7% from the prior month, encouraged by higher treatment charges and rising prices for by product sulphuric acid, state-backed research house Antaike said on Thursday.

Asian shares rallied after two days of losses, but were still in a nervous mood as global investors grapple with how best to interpret central banks' cautious moves to end stimulus, which also left currency markets quiet.

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