US cocoa futures finished lower on Friday in choppy and modest dealings, pressured by the strong dollar but underpinned by long-term supply concerns, traders said. The benchmark March contract inched down $12 to close at $3,376 per tonne. Session range from $3,360 to $3,424 per tonne. Volume for March 6,800 lots at 12:41 pm EST (1741 GMT).
US cocoa futures traded on both sides of unchanged in modest volume. The key March contract turned lower after failing to breach key resistance at $3,439. If the benchmark contract breaks through this level, it will reach the highest level for the second-month contract since June 1979 - Reuters data. Light short-covering and investor buying helped support the market - traders. Better-than-expected US jobs data pushed the dollar higher and added market pressure - traders.