US copper futures finished flat on Tuesday, then rose after hours when meeting minutes showed the Federal Reserve moving toward an easier money policy, boosting the euro and US equities, and lending a positive tone to the red metal, traders said. Copper for December delivery closed even at $3.7895 per lb on the COMEX metals division of the New York Mercantile Exchange.
On Monday, that settlement price marked a new closing high for a third-position futures contract since July 7, 2008. Tuesday's range spanned $3.7175 to $3.8095. Contract high was set a day earlier at $3.82. COMEX estimated final copper futures volume at 36,178 lots, up from Monday's light tally of 29,412 lots. Open interest added 588 lots to 158,094 contracts as of October 11.