Copper ended down for a second straight day on Wednesday, but the pace of decline slowed from the previous session's swift slide after a double dose of strong US economic data again boosted risk appetite.
Often seen as having a heightened sensitivity to underlying economic growth conditions due to its use in construction and power industries, prices recovered from an early 2-percent slide as equities bounced on a surprisingly sharp jump in US private payrolls.
COMEX copper for March delivery settled up 3.90 cents at $4.4080 per lb, near the upper end of its $4.2905 to $4.4125 session range. Lead ended up $51 at $2,660 a tonne, after hitting its highest since January 2010 at $2,675.50.