Copper ended higher on Tuesday, after a much-anticipated rate hike in China failed to rattle the market, even as the metal-consuming giant's appetite for the metal has softened at the start of the year. COMEX May copper rose 0.95 cent to settle at $4.2645 per lb. China's rate hike adds to six official increases in bank reserves since October, underlining Beijing's determination to clamp down on potential asset bubbles, analysts said.