Copper rises as dollar softens, ends Jan. lower

LONDON — Copper rose by one percent on Wednesday as the dollar slid towards its biggest monthly loss against the euro in two years while markets awaited the release of a US Federal Reserve policy statement.

The metal used in construction shrugged off slightly softer-thanexpected Chinese manufacturing data as the weaker dollar made assets priced in the US unit cheaper for holders of other currencies.

However, with speculators cutting their net long positions in copper futures and options, copper may have further to retrace after falling 1.80% so far this month following December’s rally to a near- four-year high, analysts said.

“We see most of the flows in recent weeks following the dollar, and broader reflation trading and asset reallocation,” ING commodities strategist Oliver Nugent said.

“We do think prices remain too high compared to their fundamental justification, and if the (investment) flows keep behaving as they have, with positioning drawing out, we would expect a trend down in prices.”

London Metal Exchange (LME) copper closed one percent up at $7,118 a ton. Prices fell by 0.50% in the previous session.

The dollar fell, remaining on track for its biggest monthly drop in nearly two years as US President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address failed to offer any comfort to ailing dollar bulls.

The Federal Reserve is due to release a statement at the end of its latest two- day policy meeting, at 1900 GMT. It is the last Fed meeting at which Janet Yellen will act as head of the central bank.

LME nickel led gains across base metals, closing 1.90% up at $13,600 a ton.

Nickel stocks in London Metal Exchange warehouses fell another 2,280 tons to their lowest since September 2014, data showed on Wednesday.

Russia’s Norilsk Nickel said on Wednesday its fourth-quarter consolidated nickel output rose 11% quarter on quarter to 60,032 tons.

LME zinc advanced 1.30% to close at $ 3,540 a ton, while lead finished 0.80% up at $2,612 and aluminum gained 0.60% to $2,219.50. Tin finished 0.30% up at $21,680.

LME tin has surged by nearly nine percent in the month to date, while metals affected by China’s winter pollution crackdown also rallied.

LME zinc and nickel were up by more than six percent while lead rose more than five percent. —