Copper posted its first down day in four sessions on Wednesday, as lingering debt uncertainties on both sides of the Atlantic and questions about near-term demand prospects threw some cold water on a recent rally.
Copper's losses fed through to the broader base complex, pulling lead and zinc away from their respective three-month highs hit on Tuesday, and keeping aluminium and nickel prices under pressure.
In New York, the key September COMEX contract fell 3.20 cents to settle at $4.4360 per lb, also down about 4 percent from its own record near $4.63.