Copper retreats on strong greenback after last week’s rally to five-week high

LONDON — Copper eased on Monday as a stronger dollar prompted some investors to cash in gains after last week’s upbeat Chinese and US data lifted the metal to a five-week high overnight.

With US traders absent because of the Martin Luther King Day holiday and wider markets gearing up for US president-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday, some buyers are taking the opportunity to realize profits in copper. The metal posted its best weekly performance in seven last week, climbing nearly 6%, and touched its highest since Dec. 7 overnight at $5,930 a ton.

On Monday, however, threemonth copper on the London Metal Exchange ( LME) closed down 0.70% at $5,865.

“This is probably just a bit of a pause for breath,” Cantor Fitzgerald Analyst Asa Bridle said.

“Everyone is watching and waiting to see what happens this week, with comments from the presidential inauguration and other bits and pieces. We have Janet Yellen speaking about US banking, and a lot of key economic indicators.”

More broadly, the economic backdrop has been supportive for copper of late, Mr. Bridle said.

“Recent economic data has been positive, particularly from China,” he said.

Chinese customs data on Friday showed that the country shipped in a record 4.95 million tons of copper in 2016, while US data revealed retail sales there climbed in December.

Along with other commodities, copper came under pressure from renewed strength in the dollar. The US currency rose 0.40% against a basket as investors pondered Trump’s likely economic policies after he takes office on Friday.

LME nickel ended 1.80% lower at $10,255 a ton as news that Indonesia is easing a ban on nickel ore exports weighed on the stainless steel ingredient.

The retreat came despite assurances from Indonesian mining officials that the step would not flood the global market.

“We believe the lifting of the Indonesian nickel ore export ban creates uncertainty on the medium-term direction of nickel prices,” Citi said in a note.

“There are a lot of uncertainties as to how much excess ore will actually come out of Indonesia given all the requirements to be fulfilled before export of ore can begin, the low nickel price (and the) need to ramp up (the) export infrastructure logistics chain.”

Among other industrial metals, LME zinc closed down 1.50% at $ 2,751.50, while lead was up 1.60% at $2,268. Aluminum ended the day 0.90% lower at $1,792 a ton, and tin was down 0.40% at $21,050. —