US coffee futures settled down 1.1 percent in thin volume on Wednesday, weakened by fund and speculative selling ahead of a long weekend, market sources said.
The New York Board of Trade's active March arabica contract fell 1.10 cent to settle at $1.0130 cents a lb., after trading from $1.0060 to $1.0225.
May arabica lost 1.20 cent to end at $1.0340 a lb., and more distant contracts concluded off 1.35 to 1.65 cent. "Funds seem to be prompting the commodities down, but it's difficult to say why," said a trader. "The volume in coffee was Very light," he said, estimating final futures volume at 7,947 contracts.
"We broke yesterday's low and there was some spec liquidation because of that," said another coffee trader. "It was very quiet because of the holiday," he said.
The New York Board of Trade will be closed on Thursday and Friday for the US Thanksgiving holiday. Markets will resume trading at normal business hours on Monday.