Copper supported by hopes for end to US government shutdown

LONDON: Copper prices steadied on Wednesday, supported by optimism over an expected end to the U.S. government shutdown while the market awaited the release of loans data from top consumer China to gauge demand prospects.

Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange was flat at $10,827 a metric ton at 1122 GMT. It hit a record high of $11,200 last month on mine supply shortages caused by disruptions including an accident in Indonesia.

The U.S. House of Representatives is due to vote on Wednesday afternoon on a compromise that would restore funding to government agencies and end a shutdown that started on October 1.

Traders said the expected return of U.S. economic data, which should help investors and the Federal Reserve to judge the state of the U.S. economy, had supported prices this week.

Fed decisions on interest rates would determine the direction of the U.S. dollar, a weakening of which makes dollar-priced metals cheaper for holders of other currencies.

However, expectations of weak bank lending in China was weighing on sentiment, as were forecasts of a drop in total social financing, which analysts study to assess metals demand.

Elsewhere, zinc stocks in LME-registered warehouses are near their lowest since February 2023 at 35,875 tons.

Low stocks have created a hefty premium for the cash zinc contract over the three-month forward, -3 which would normally attract metal to the exchange. That has failed to materialise this time because of shortages on the physical market.

Zinc stocks in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange have also started to slide. At 100,208 tons, they have dropped 8% over the past couple of weeks.

Three-month zinc was down 0.3% at $3,058 a ton.

Analysts say China’s rising zinc concentrate imports and metal production should help to ease the tight market but note that this will take time because so much global capacity has been suspended because of high power costs.

Aluminium gained 0.3% to $2,883 a ton, lead rose 0.3% to $2,069, tin added 0.2% to $36,700 and nickel was down 0.3% at $15,005.