Copper prices fell 0.2 percent in London on Friday and Shanghai ended flat with both markets on track for modest weekly gains, having recovered from the blow to near-term sentiment caused by Japan's earthquake. LME stocks stand at just under 435,000 tonnes, their highest since mid-2010.
Shanghai stocks at 177,000 tonnes are their greatest since May last year and stocks on COMEX at 75,000 tonnes are near their highest since September last year - with total exchange stocks just short of 700,000 tonnes Shanghai's most-active copper futures contract, June, fell 50 yuan to 72,360 yuan a tonne.