Base metals tumbled on Friday following a rout in equities as fears returned another economic crisis could hit the United States and the eurozone, sending copper to a five-week low and many other metals down around five percent. Copper closed down 3.4 percent at $9,040 a tonne on the London Metal Exchange, heading for its biggest weekly fall since March.
The metal used in power and construction earlier hit its lowest since June 28, at $9,010.75 a tonne, from $9,355 a tonne at Thursday's close. Other base metals dropped after copper, falling between two and six percent. Aluminium fell three percent to its lowest since late January.
"Clearly systemic financial risk, a looming credit crunch, a liquidity squeeze, all those things that hark back to the economic crisis are in the mix," analyst Robin Bhar at Credit Agricole said. Equity markets fell sharply for an eighth day on Friday in a dizzying descent that has wiped $2.5 trillion off the value of world stocks this week and brought back memories of the 2008 financial crisis.
Volumes of three-month copper and aluminium on the LME soared to near their highest this year, signalling bargain hunting, traders said. Earlier, brief respite had descended on the markets after data showed US job growth accelerated more than expected in July as private employers stepped up hiring.
Now analysts and traders are looking ahead to next Tuesday's US interest rate and policy meeting and press briefing for insight on the US's next measures to tackle its struggling economy. Meanwhile, a decision to end a strike at Chile's giant Escondida mine eased but did not erase near-term fears over copper supply. Workers at the mine accepted a company offer to end a two-week strike that shut down the world's top copper deposit and stoked fears of a global supply shortage.
"This has helped copper's move down, but I wouldn't overstate its influence," analyst Eugen Weinberg of Commerzbank said. Despite aluminium's steep correction, analysts and traders see prices underpinned by Chinese fabricator and construction demand as power shortages there curb domestic output.
Aluminium stocks in Shanghai fell 12.9 percent, or 23,585 tonnes on the week to 158,130 tonnes and the lowest in two years, data from the Shanghai Futures Exchange showed. "We believe this reflects wider trends of inventory draw downs along the supply pipeline. Even though smelter production is running at a record high, consumption has been exceptionally strong," Barclays Capital said in a note. Still, traders said aluminium's correction inflicted damage on its chart picture that could attract more technical selling next week.
Three-month aluminium closed at $2,400,from $2,476 on Thursday. Other metals lost between 4.7 and 6 percent. Tin finished at $24,350, from $25,505, its lowest since September 2010. Zinc ended at $2,200 from $2,330 and nickel fell to $22,505 from $23,650 a tonne, both the lowest in six weeks. Meanwhile lead closed at $2,360 from $2,490, having plumbed a two-month trough of $2,360.
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