US copper futures ended with modest losses on Tuesday, after trading around the unchanged level for much of the day, with participants weighing whether to take profits as prices approach recent highs or add to holdings amid speculation that prices will rise further, traders said. A slew of positive factors, like an upbeat US economic report, a softening dollar, and low copper stocks, all argued for higher copper prices on Tuesday.
But traders said some players were getting nervous at levels above $1.40 per lb. and decided to liquidate some long positions, and in some cases take out new short positions.
"One hundred points from the high and 100 points from the low, it looks neutral to me right now," said one copper trader. Most-active March copper on the New York Mercantile Exchange's Comex division closed 0.65 cent lower at $1.4340 a lb.
It peaked at $1.4480, stopping short of Monday's seven-week high of $1.4520 a lb. The session low was $1.4240. Spot December copper ended down 0.20 cent at $1.4430. Most of the active months hit new contract highs but were down from 0.35 cent to 0.90 cent by the close.
Comex estimated on Tuesday's copper volume at 14,000 lots by the end, well below the 20,680 lots traded on Monday. Open interest grew by 451 lots on Monday to 96,698, some of which were likely liquidated during on Tuesday's action.
Some traders shrugged off copper's decline and pointed to a raft of bullish ideas for a more optimistic outlook. "I think we make new contract highs by the end of the week if we go through $1.45 (a lb. on March copper).
The trend is up, the volume is there, the buying is there, the technicals look good, and the fundamentals are supportive of this market," said Scott Meyers, senior-trading analyst at Pioneer Futures.
Meyers said he looks for a short-term upside target between $1.47 to $1.50 a lb. for March copper futures. Some of Tuesday's selling resulted from leftover switching business out of December futures and into March.
On Tuesday was first notice day for the now spot December contract. Copper received some lift from a government report showing robust consumer spending on cars, furniture and food, which helped the US economy advance faster than first thought in the third quarter.
The report also showed underlying inflation was the most benign in decades. The preliminary reading of US third-quarter gross domestic product showed a bigger-than-expected gain of 3.9 percent, up from the 3.7 percent increase estimated a month ago. At the US Asarco unit of Mexican copper giant Group Mexico, union workers will push in this week's contract talks for better healthcare, pension, and wage benefits, a union spokesman said.
Asarco and the union hold their third round of contract talks December 1-2. Operations at Asarco's mines have not been affected by the lack of a new contract. The dollar resumed its downtrend on Tuesday, approaching but holding above last week's record low versus the euro.
A falling dollar enhances holdings in dollar-denominate assets like copper for overseas investors. London Metal Exchange stocks increased by 675 tonnes on Tuesday to 59,975 tonnes but remained at low levels unseen since 1990.
LME three-month copper ended the on Tuesday evening kerb at $3,095 per tonne, down from Monday's close at $3,112.
Comments
Comments are closed.