Forexpros – Copper futures erased gains on Wednesday, turning lower as lingering concerns over the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis pushed the U.S. dollar higher, while worries over a slowdown in demand from top consumer China further weighed.
On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, copper futures for May delivery traded at USD3.645 a pound during European morning trade, dipping 0.1%.
It earlier rose by as much as 0.75% to trade at USD3.674 a pound, the highest since April 13.
Wednesday’s turnaround coincided with the dollar index adding to gains against its major counterparts during early European trade, reducing the appeal of dollar-denominated commodities.
The dollar index, which tracks the performance of the greenback against a basket of six other major currencies, was up 0.27% to trade at 79.91.
Markets continued to monitor developments surrounding indebted euro zone members, amid concerns the region’s debt crisis will flare up again.
A Spanish short-term government bonds auction briefly reassured investors on Tuesday as the country raised the full targeted amount of EUR3 billion, although borrowing costs almost doubled.
But market sentiment looked set to remain fragile ahead of an auction of two and 10-year Spanish bonds on Thursday, which is being seen as a key test of market appetite for the country’s debt.
Concerns over Portugal’s economic health were renewed after Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho said Wednesday there were “no guarantees” that the country would meet its commitment to return to the international capital markets before September 2013.
Meanwhile, the Italian government will delay its plan to reach a balanced budget in 2013 by a year due to a weaker economic outlook, according to a draft document due to be approved by Prime Minister Mario Monti.
There have been renewed concerns of further debt contagion in the euro zone in recent weeks amid fears Spain will be the next in the euro zone to require a bailout.
Europe as a region is second in global demand for the industrial metal. Prices have tracked investor sentiment toward the euro zone’s debt crisis in recent months.
Meanwhile, concerns over a slowdown in Chinese demand for the industrial metal further dampened sentiment. A report released earlier showed China’s home prices falling in a record 37 of 70 cities tracked by the government in March.
However, the downbeat data fuelled speculation that Beijing will move to ease monetary policy in the near-term to boost growth in the world’s second largest economy.
China is the world’s largest copper consumer, accounting for almost 40% of world consumption last year.
Prices were higher earlier in the Asian trading session after the International Monetary Fund boosted its global growth outlook to 3.5% from 3.3%, citing an improving U.S. economy.
Copper is regarded as a leading indicator of the global economy. The industrial metal is sensitive to the economic growth outlook because of its widespread uses across industries.
Prices also tracked strong gains in the Shanghai Composite Index, which surged 2% on news that South Korea’s central bank would buy USD300 million in Chinese stocks over the next three months.
Elsewhere on the Comex, gold for June delivery dipped 0.15% to trade at USD1,648.65 a troy ounce, while silver for May delivery was flat to trade at USD31.67 a troy ounce.