Copper leads the base metals higher

(Correcting copper price to show it was $5,706 per tonne at 06:17 GMT and not $1,261.50 per tonne as initially reported)

London 11/11/2016 – While the metals are busy rallying, some of the emerging market (EM) currencies are weakening, which is a warning that may mean risk is rotating out of EMs. This could cause other markets to stop and think.

The base metals closed mixed on Thursday November 10. Average gains in three-month prices were 0.7% but the market was polarised – copper prices were up 3.6% at $5,617 per tonne while nickel prices closed down 1.5% at $11,475 per tonne. Lead prices closed down 0.3%, aluminium prices up 0.8%, tin prices up 1% and zinc prices up 0.4%.

Spot precious metals were also mixed yesterday – gold prices closed off 1.2% at $1,260.75 per oz, platinum prices were off 1.6% at $975 per oz while silver prices were up 1% and palladium prices were up 2.7% at $689 per oz.

This morning, the base metals are up an average of 1.2%. Aluminium and tin prices are little changed, lead prices are up 0.8%, zinc prices are up 1.2%, copper prices are up 1.6% at $5,706 per tonne, while nickel prices are flying in a 3.5% rally to $11,875 per tonne. Volume has been high at 18,656 lots as of 06:17 GMT.

Precious metals this morning are mixed – platinum prices are off 0.5%, palladium prices are up 0.6% and gold and silver prices are little changed, up 0.1% and 0.2% respectively.

In Shanghai, the January contracts are up an average of 2.5%. Tin prices are bucking the trend, falling 0.3%, while the rest are up between 0.6% for lead and 6.7% for copper at 45,850 yuan per tonne (see table below for more details). Spot copper in Changjiang is up only 0.7 percent at 45,320-45,450 yuan per tonne.

The late surge in copper futures has pushed the spread into a contango equivalent of $58 per tonne; we expect it will revert to a backwardation tomorrow when either the physical market catches up or the futures correct. The LME/Shanghai copper arbitrage ratio is at 1:8, which should mean the arb is open for some trading.

In other metals in China, January iron ore prices are up 5.9% at 614.50 yuan per tonne. Spot seaborne prices are surging too – prices were recently quoted at $74.20 per tonne. On the SHFE, January steel rebar is up 2.2%, silver prices are up 1% and gold prices are down 1.7%. In international markets, spot Brent crude prices are little changed at $45.67 per barrel.

In FX, the dollar index is back in high ground at 98.59; conversely, the euro is back in low ground at 1.0914. Sterling is firmer at 1.2571, the yen was weakening yesterday, reaching 106.95, and was recently at 106.43, and the aussie is at 0.7627 – given the boom in metals prices, we would have thought it would be surging.

EM currencies are considerably weaker – the yuan was recently quoted at 6.8128, the weakest since June 2010, which was just before the 6.80 peg changed; the Mexican peso at 20.5780 is 11% weaker since the start of the month; and the other currencies we follow are all weakening at a fast pace. This suggests not all markets a reacting positively to the US election result – the weakness in EMs suggest concern about protectionism.

Equities were mixed yesterday – the Euro Stoxx 50 closed down 0.3%; the Dow set a fresh record, closing 1.2% higher; but the Nasdaq closed down 0.8%. In Asia this morning, the Nikkei is up 0.2%, the Hang Seng is off 1.4%, the CSI 300 is up 0.7% and the ASX 200 is up 0.8% but the Kospi is down 0.9%. The Sensex is down 1.6% and Indonesia’s JCI is down 3% – so some mixed patterns are emerging.

The economic agenda is fairly quiet with German CPI and WPI unchanged from the prior month. Later there is data on UK construction and University of Michigan consumer sentiment and inflation expectations. FOMC member Stanley Fischer is also speaking at 1400 GMT (see table below for more details).

Three-month copper prices are leading the advance – prices have set a fresh high this morning for the year at $5,808 per tonne, which means they have rallied $1,174.50 per tonne since October 21, some 25% over a period of 15 days. Nickel prices are also rising strongly while the rest are either working higher or are consolidating recent gains.

Copper has shifted from being the underperformer to a recent over-performer. Chinese fund buying seems to be doing the pushing; we wait to see if European and US traders chase prices higher or take advantage of them.

The precious metals are mixed. Gold and platinum prices are under pressure but silver and palladium prices are getting some lift on their industrial attributes. Given the nervousness in some EM markets, gold may well pick up some safe-haven demand.

 

Overnight Performance
GMT	06:17	+/-	+/- %	Lots
Cu	5706	88.5	1.6%	8918
Al	1767.5	-1	-0.1%	2181
Ni	11875	400	3.5%	3889
Zn	2550	29.5	1.2%	3386
Pb	2155.5	17.5	0.8%	263
Sn	21550	-10	0.0%	19
	Average		1.2%	18,656
Gold	1261.6	0.85	0.1%
Silver	18.64	0.04	0.2%
Platinum	970.3	-4.7	-0.5%
Palladium	692.8	3.8	0.6%
	Average PM		0.1%

 

SHFE Prices 06:17 GMT	RMB	Change	% Change
Cu	45850	2880	6.7%
AL	14145	265	1.9%
Zn	14145	390	2.8%
Pb	17290	110	0.6%
Ni	96490	2940	3.1%
Sn	152580	-440	-0.3%
Average change (base metals)	0		2.5%
Rebar	3085	65	2.2%
Au	281.5	-4.95	-1.7%
Ag	4284	41	1.0%

 

Economic Agenda
GMT	Country	Data	Actual	Expected	Previous
4:30am	Japan	Tertiary Industry Activity m/m	-0.1%	-0.2%	0.0%
7:00am	Germany	Final CPI m/m	0.2%	0.2%	0.2%
7:00am	Germany	WPI m/m	0.4%	0.2%	0.4%
9:30am	UK	Construction Output m/m		0.2%	-1.5%
2:00pm	US	FOMC Member Fischer Speaks
3:00pm	US	Prelim UoM Consumer Sentiment		87.4	87.2
3:00pm	US	Prelim UoM Inflation Expectations			2.4%

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