In New York, the key March COMEX contract dropped 8.30 cents, or 2.2 percent, to settle at $3.7080 per lb on Friday, near the bottom of its $3.6935 to $3.8320 session range. While broader market optimism toward a final Greek debt deal - now expected on Monday - helped boost world stocks to a 6-1/2 month peak and bolstered the euro versus the dollar, copper failed to tag along.
Copper prices remained depressed most of the day as near-term demand prospects, particularly from China, dimmed. "Hopes of financial assistance for Greece are driving the market; the market is quite optimistic today but the recovery is fragile and we should be prepared to see lower prices," said Commerzbank analyst Daniel Briesemann.