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Copper, aluminium, lead and nickel were up between 0.3% and 0.8% on the SHFE this morning, while zinc and tin declined by 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.
The red metal’s most-traded July contract on the SHFE rose to 46,990 yuan per tonne as at 9.50am Shanghai time, up by 310 yuan per tonne, or 0.7%, from Thursday’s close of 46,680 yuan per tonne.
A softening in the US currency overnight seems to be the main driver behind the strength in most of the SHFE base metals this morning. The dollar index, at 97.88 as at 9.50am Shanghai time, is down from a high of 98.38 on Thursday.
The weakness in the dollar follows disappointing US data overnight that saw the flash manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) slide to 50.6 in May, from 52.6 previously, and new home sales fall to 673,000 units in April from the prior month’s upwardly revised 723,000 units.
“Weak housing and manufacturing data point to a slowing economy. New home sales data fell 6.9% in April reversing the recent strong upward trend. Manufacturing activity fell to its lowest reading since September 2009, with new order data below 50 for the first time in over a decade,” Adelaide Timbrell, an economist with ANZ Research, said in a morning note.
European manufacturing data released on Thursday was similarly disappointing – see other highlights below.
Yet despite the broadly positive performance by the SHFE base metals this morning, the complex continues to contend with headwinds from a prolonged trade war between China and the United States and the negative effect that the spat may have on global economic growth.
“China’s Commerce Ministry said that the US should correct its actions if it wants to continue negotiating. It seems neither the US nor China is ready to compromise and that ongoing tension is becoming a new normal,” Timbrell added.
Other highlights