COMEX copper futures rose to new highs on Wednesday, driven by a slew of factors from striking miners to the falling dollar to signs of increasing demand in the latest orders data, traders.
Already lifted to 6-1/2-year highs by news of entrenched copper mine strikers in both Canada and Chile, copper prices gathered more steam on a healthy rise in US December factory orders data.
"It's a continuation of the bull market. Volume's on the light side, but prices are holding steady," said one broker.
Traders said buyers were coming from all corners and responding to an array of bullish factors.
Buyers took active March copper contracts up 0.60 cent to $1.1745 a lb, after reaching as high as $1.1755, a peak that matched levels from June 1997. The low was $1.1650.
Spot February copper rose 0.50 cent to $1.1725. Contracts that actually traded only extended out to December 2004, but they all hit new lifetime highs and were up 0.05 to 0.50 cent.
COMEX estimated copper volume at 5,000 lots by 10 am EST (1500 GMT).