Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures fell on Monday for a fourth straight session, hitting a 5-month low, weighed down by concerns over rising inventories and softer demand from top buyer China. The Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) rubber contract for April delivery finished 0.8 yen, or 0.4 percent, lower at 189.5 yen ($1.7) per kg, after touching its lowest since June 23 at 188 yen earlier in the session.
"The TOCOM started Monday trade higher on the back of gains in oil and metals prices last Friday, but it came under selling pressure amid worries about higher rubber stocks and weaker economy in China," said Hiroyuki Kikukawa, general manager of research at Nissan Securities. Rubber inventories at TOCOM-approved warehouses increased to 4,815 tonnes as of Nov. 10, up 749 tonnes from 4,066 tonnes on Oct. 31, according to TOCOM data.
Rubber inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose 2.2 percent from the prior Friday, the exchange said on Friday. The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for January delivery rose 70 yuan to finish at 13,385 yuan per tonne. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for December delivery last traded at 138.8 US cents per kg, down 0.3 cent.