LONDON: Copper prices recouped some of last week’s steep losses on Monday as risk sentiment improved while supply in China remained tight and the dollar slipped.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.7 percent to USD13,869 a metric ton by 1030 GMT, having lost 2.7 percent last week in its steepest weekly decline since March.
Global stock markets nudged up from six-month lows on Monday, but the mood was fragile. “Copper is recovering as risk sentiment stabilises and tight physical supply in China returns to focus,” said ING commodities strategist Ewa Manthey, adding that the rise in spot premiums shows that metal remains difficult to secure.
The Yangshan copper premium, which reflects demand for copper imported into top metals consumer China, rose to a record USD230 a ton on Monday.
The most traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) gained 0.5 percent to 107,430 yuan (USD16,096.31) a ton. Also supporting copper was a weaker dollar, which makes dollar-priced commodities cheaper for buyers using other currencies. Monday’s gains in copper could be temporary, however.
“Today’s move does not necessarily mark the end of the correction,” said ING’s Manthey. “Prices remain vulnerable to further weakness if broader market sentiment deteriorates again.”
A sweep by Democrats in US midterm elections spurred worries over the potential for tighter US data centre restrictions and reduced prospects for Trump’s planned tariffs on refined copper, threatening the AI-related demand and tariff-driven stockpiling that have supported prices.
A Citi note said that weakening AI sentiment could trigger further selling in copper while a pullback in US tariff expectations was “likely to prompt risk-off behaviour”.
The bank cut its three-month copper price forecast to USD13,300 a ton from USD14,500.
Among other LME metals, aluminium shed 0.4 percent to USD3,049 a ton, zinc lost 0.4 percent to USD3,698, lead dipped 0.1 percent to USD1,884 and tin fell 1 percent to USD45,995 while nickel added 0.1 percent to USD16,370.
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