Copper Set for Second Weekly Gain on Mine Supply Concern, China
By Jae Hur
Copper headed for a second weekly advance on concern that supplies from global mines will trail forecasts and amid speculation demand may increase in China, the biggest user of industrial metals.
The metal is down 5.9 percent this month, set for the biggest such drop since June.
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc. (FCX) is producing at about 50 percent of capacity at Indonesia’s Grasberg, the world’s second-biggest copper mine.
A company controlled by Rio Tinto Group cut its forecast for output from Mongolia’s Oyu Tolgoi.
Copper has declined 10 percent this quarter, heading for the first such loss since the period ended in June.
“Recent reports of lower mine output lent support to copper amid expectations for a pick-up in demand from China in coming months,” said Hwang Il Doo, a senior metals trader at Korea Exchange Bank Futures Co. in Seoul.
Demand in China is starting to emerge from industries including construction and power, and some fabricators are considering buying more copper due to increased orders and lower prices, according to a survey by Macquarie Group Ltd.
Source: Bloomberg