US copper futures rose in sympathy with wider strength in the metals sector early Friday, with a weaker dollar and record high oil prices boosting the appeal of commodities as an asset class, traders said.
Copper for September delivery was trading up 4.15 cents at $3.76 a lb by 10:27 am EDT (1427 GMT) on the New York Mercantile Exchange's Comex division. The morning range ran from $3.7225 to $3.7990. Aluminium for three-month delivery on the London Metal Exchange hovered around record highs, while zinc surged to six-week peaks on worries over supply shortages from China, and lead jumped almost 5 percent to a five-week high at $2,080 a tonne.