Metals-copper Rises As Fed Plans No Immediate Rate Hike

Nov 4 (Reuters) – London copper prices advanced on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve signalled no immediate hike in interest rates to sustain a recovery in economic growth and employment.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.7% at $9,526 a tonne, as of 0724 GMT, rebounding from two straight sessions of losses.

The most-traded December copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange eased 0.6% to 70,150 yuan ($10,971.74) a tonne, tracking overnight losses in London.

The Fed said it would trim its massive bond-buying programme starting this month, but stay patient and wait for more job growth before raising interest rates.

Copper is often used as a gauge of global economic health due to its widespread application in many sectors. A delay in U.S. rate hikes is likely to sustain growth in the world's biggest economy.

Meanwhile, fundamentals remained supportive for copper prices amid supply uncertainty and resilient consumption, Jinrui Futures said in a note.

Copper inventories in LME and ShFE warehouses MCUSTX-TOTALCU-STX-SGH remained at multi-years low levels, with the LME cash copper trading at a premium of $190 a tonne over the three-month contract MCU0-3, indicating tightness of nearby supply.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Top copper miner Codelco’s output in September fell 16% year-on-year to 133,800 tonnes, while production at BHP's Escondida, the world's largest copper mine, dropped 12.2% to 82,600 tonnes in the same month, Chilean state copper commission Cochilco said on Wednesday.

* LME aluminium rose 0.6% to $2,672.50 a tonne, nickel advanced 1.2% to $19,385 a tonne, and zinc was up 1% at $3,340 a tonne.

* ShFE aluminium fell 1.6% to 19,780 yuan a tonne, nickel decreased 1.4% to 142,820 yuan a tonne, while tin rose 1.6% to 277,700 yuan a tonne.