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Copper rebounded in early trade on Monday, after touching a three-week low in the previous session, but the metal was poised for a monthly loss.
Aluminum, which was last week’s standout among base metals, edged lower on profit-taking, with trading volumes expected to be light as mainland Chinese markets are closed for a week-long Lunar New Year holiday beginning on Monday.
The Shanghai Futures Exchange will reopen on Feb. 7.
FUNDAMENTALS
* Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange advanced 0.7% to $9,575 a tonne by 0236 GMT. It hit a three-week low of $9,496 on Friday and has fallen more than 1% in January.
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* Three-month LME aluminum shed 0.2% to $3,077.50 a tonne, but headed toward a monthly gain of nearly 10%, as high power prices have forced some smelters to cut production and traders are concerned that the Ukraine conflict could interrupt exports from major producer Russia.
* Growth in top metals consumer China’s factory activity slowed in January as a resurgence of COVID-19 cases and tough lockdowns hit production and demand, but the slight expansion offered some signs of resilience as the world’s second-largest economy enters a likely bumpy new year .
* Copper prices, often seen as a gauge of global economic health, are set to languish this year, a Reuters poll of analysts showed, weighed down by weaker demand as rising interest rates curb economic growth while mines churn out more supply.
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* Europe needs to diversify its energy supplies, the head of NATO said on Sunday, as Britain warned it was “highly likely” that Russia, the continent’s biggest natural gas supplier, was looking to invade Ukraine.
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MARKETS NEWS
* Asian share markets made guarded gains ahead of a week that is likely to see a rise in UK interest rates and mixed reports on US jobs and manufacturing, while surging oil prices add to worries over inflation.
* The dollar was near a year-and-a-half high against the euro, with equities markets volatility expected to push it higher in the short-term as traders eyed upcoming Australian, UK and European central bank meetings.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
1000 EU GDP Flash Prelim Q4
1300 Germany CPI Prelim Jan
1300 Germany HICP Prelim Jan
PRICES
Three month LME copper
Most active ShFE copper
Three month LME aluminum
Most active ShFE aluminum
Three month LME zinc
Most active ShFE zinc
Three month LME lead
Most active ShFE lead
Three month LME nickel
Most active ShFE nickel
Three month LME tin
Most active ShFE tin
(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz in Manila; Editing by Rashmi Aich)
financialpost.com