Prices drop on economic concerns and strong dollar
Copper prices ended lower at Comex on Friday, 16 April 2010. Negative news regarding Goldman Sachs rocked Wall Street and all commodities tumbled on Friday. The strong dollar added further woes. The stronger than expected report on the housing sector failed to push prices higher.
At USA, copper futures for July delivery ended lower by 8.55
cents (2.4%) at $3.5355 a pound on Friday. For the week, prices lost
1.5%. In March, copper gained 7.5%. Copper gained about 6% for the
first quarter, buoyed by data from the U.S. and other countries
reinforced expectations that the global economic recovery was on track.
On a year to date basis, in 2010, copper is higher by 4.6%.
Prices have almost doubled in the past twelve months due to higher imports from China. Copper ended FY 2009 higher by 140%.
On Friday, at LME, copper for delivery in three months ended
lower by $185 (2.3%) at $7,760. Prices had crossed the $8,000 mark for
first time since 2008 last Tuesday, 6 April. On 3 July, 2008, prices
had touched an all time intra day high of $8,940.
Copper slid early after the government in China raised minimum rates on mortgage loans
and down payments for second homes, saying 'more forceful' steps are
needed to cool speculation after property prices rose at a record pace
in March. The metal also fell as the dollar advanced as much as 0.5%
against a basket of six major currencies, including the euro, curbing
purchases of commodities as alternative assets.
Wall Street was stunned on Friday after news hit the wires that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil suit accusing Goldman Sachs
and one of its vice presidents of defrauding investors in connection
with a mortgage derivative. As per reports, a key focus of these
worries may be Paulson & Co., which is enmeshed in a SEC lawsuit
againstGoldman Sachs but hasn't been charged. The hedge fund giant is
one of the world's biggest investors in gold. If Paulson investors try
to redeem from the firm's hedge funds, the firm might be forced to
unwind some of its gold positions, pressuring prices.
Among economic reports for the day, the Commerce Department
in US reported on Friday, 16 April 2010 that housing starts in US rose
1.6% in March to a seasonally adjusted 626,000 annualized units. The
figure was stronger than the 610,000 expected. In addition, February
starts were revised higher to 616,000 from the 570,000 previously
reported. This was up 1.1% from the prior month. The initial estimate
had been a 5.9% drop. As a result of the revisions, starts have risen
for three straight months and are now at their highest level since
November 2008.
Also, the preliminary Consumer Sentiment Survey for April from the University of Michigan
came in at 69.5, which was not only below the 75.0 that had been widely
expected, but it was also the worst reading since November.
Copper ended substantially higher last year on expectations
of revived global economic growth along with a decline in the dollar.
The dollar index had dropped almost 4.2% last year. The metal was also
pushed higher by record first-half imports to China, the world's
largest user.
The U.S. buys about 13% of the 17 million metric tons of copper sold annually and China buys about 20%.
Among other metals traded in the LME on Friday, lead ended 1%
lower at $2,365 a ton and zinc ended 1% lower at $2,495.5 a ton. Nickel
ended 2.8% lower at $26,800. Aluminum ended 0.5% lower at $2,468 a ton.
