Tokyo rubber futures ended higher on Wednesday on speculative buying but a firmer yen and easing oil prices limited gains, dealers said. The benchmark rubber contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange for October delivery rose 1.9 yen to settle at 290.3 yen ($2.83) per kg. "Investors bought contracts on expectation that prices could rise further to break above the 290 resistance, but the firmer yen weighed on prices," said a Tokyo-based dealer.
Dealers said TOCOM prices could rise further on Thursday as technical sentiment improved after prices finished above a major resistance level of 290 yen. The most-active rubber contract on Shanghai futures exchange for September delivery was down 25 yuan to finish at 20,460 yuan ($3,300) per tonne. The front-month June rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange was last traded at 254.0 US cents per kg, down 1.6 cents.