Copper prices rose on Friday, after having see-sawed in holiday-thinned trade through the week as profit booking kept prices from gaining on hopes of a rebound in demand after top consumer China’s stimulus measures.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.4% to $9,909 per metric ton by 0402 GMT, aluminium increased 0.4% to $2,640 and nickel climbed 1.8% to $17,900.
LME zinc advanced 0.7% to $3,145.50, lead was up 0.4% at $2,151.50 and tin edged up 0.1% at $33,750.
Copper prices could climb further as China tends to follow through with their fiscal stimulus pledges, and prices will likely peak at around $10,500 where physical demand may struggle to keep up, said a metals trader.
“Bad data releases can trigger sell-offs in the very short term,” the trader added. On a weekly basis, however, LME copper fell 0.8%, on track for the first decline in four weeks, as the market awaits more cues after a strong rally triggered by the China’s stimulus plans.
China is closed for a public holiday from Oct. 1-7.
Copper pulls back on geopolitics
Tin is set for the fourth straight week of gains, having hit its highest since July 11 earlier in the week.
Indonesian tin exports have picked up in September but some major producers have reached their export quotas and need to renegotiate before exports can resume, while exports from Myanmar continued to decline, said analyst Freddie Mitchell of the International Tin Association.
“Sentiment among tin consumers is positive, with market participants anticipating an overall demand recovery in 2024,” Mitchell said in a note.
SHFE tin stocks fell to 8,698 tons, the lowest since Feb. 2, while LME tin inventories were last at 4,565 tons, the lowest since Aug. 23.
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