Copper Hits 4-Week High
Copper futures climbed to around $4.60 per ounce on Friday, hitting a four-week high as rising odds that the US Federal Reserve could start cutting interest rates as early as September and hopes for more stimulus measures in top consumer China lifted sentiment. The metal is also on track to gain more than 5% this week for its best weekly performance since mid-May. Earlier this week, a surprise contraction in services activity and disappointing private employment numbers in the US supported the case for the Fed to start easing policy soon. Markets also look forward to a key political meeting in China later in July where top officials are expected to announce new measures to support the economy. Moreover, Shanghai Futures Exchange data showed that copper inventories in China have declined for the third straight week after recording sharp increases since the start of 2024. Meanwhile, copper inventories in LME-monitored warehouses rose to 186,450 tons, the highest since October 2023.