First impressions are that we are off to a bullish start to the week, with the base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange up by an average of 0.6% this morning, Monday February 26.

Better Chinese manufacturing data has surprised the market and boosted three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange by an average of 1% this morning, Monday April 1.

Further weakness in China’s Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), that fell to 48.3 in January from 49.7 in the prior month, was enough to dent confidence in the base metals market this morning, Friday February 1, with prices for the most part weaker as a result.

The underlying theme remains unchanged with the base metals prices continuing to oscillate within sideways trends, although some prices, such as tin and zinc, are starting to edge higher.

The London Metal Exchange three-month base metals prices ran into follow-through selling on the morning of Monday March 25 following the weak economic data points released at the end of last week.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were broadly weaker on the morning of Monday July 30, with zinc (-0.9%), copper (-0.7%), lead (-0.2%) and nickel (-0.1%) all down, while aluminium and tin prices were up by 0.4% and 0.3% respectively.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part still consolidating the gains seen at the end of last week, following weakness on Monday January 28, an up day on Tuesday, and now awaiting further direction.

Base metals on the London Metal Exchange are recovering again this morning, Tuesday February 13, with prices up by an average of 0.7%. Copper ($6,924 per tonne) and nickel lead the way with gains of 0.9%, while lead is the laggard with a 0.3% increase.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange exhibited mixed movements while consolidating this morning, Thursday January 17. Copper, nickel, lead and zinc were down by between 0.1% and 0.5%, while aluminium and tin prices were up by 0.3% and 0.4% respectively.

Jittery stock markets and ongoing disappointment over United States/China trade developments continued to put either a cap on the base metals – the exception being tin that broke higher at the start of this week – or keep them under pressure, in the likes of nickel and aluminium.