US coffee futures ended modestly lower in thinly-traded volumes Wednesday as early roaster buying ran out of steam and paved the way for speculative selling, traders said.
On the New York Board of Trade, the most-active December coffee contract dipped 0.50 cent to settle at 77.65 cents a lb, after trading from 77.05 cents to 78.80 cents.
March 2005 slid 0.55 cent to 80.70 cents, while longer-dated contracts eased 0.55 cent across the board.
"There was some light interest by roasters early in the session," said one trader. "There was some locals buying but not enough to keep the market into that 78.80 area."