Among LME metals, lead CMPB3 ticked 0.05% higher, nickel CMNI3 was little changed, up only 0.01% and tin CMSN3 added 0.18%.
Among SHFE metals, lead SPBcv1 dipped 0.31%, nickel SNIcv1 rose 1.8% and tin SSNcv1 ticked 0.06% higher.
($1 = 6.7178 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Other base metals edge higher amid softer dollar
Elsewhere, copper and zinc, which led Wednesday's industrial metals losses on cooling supply concerns and a macroeconomic risk-off, had uneven gains.
LME copper CMCU3 was up 0.08%, while it gained 0.28% on the SHFE SCFcv1. LME zinc CMZN3 added 0.35% and the SHFE price SZNcv1 nudged down 0.13%.
The key LME cash-to-three-month copper spread CMCU0-3 remained in backwardation on Wednesday, signaling tight availability but tightened to $87.56 a ton, its narrowest since August 21.
The U.S. dollar index =USD fell 0.29% on Thursday, providing support for the wider base metals complex. A weaker dollar makes greenback-denominated commodities cheaper for buyers using other currencies.
Meanwhile, bond and stock markets rallied, and expectations of a September U.S. interest rate hike softened to 60% from 67% on Monday, according to the CME's FedWatch tool. Higher rates threaten to dampen demand for growth-dependent commodities by weighing on economic activity.
Market sees constrained supply and a deficit this year
"Aluminium is being supported by a combination of physical destocking, expectations of a seasonal improvement in Chinese demand and relatively constrained supply growth," said Rupankar RM, head of market research and data intelligence at AL Circle.
Despite hopes for returning supply from the big producers in the Middle East, analysts expect the market to remain in deficit this year, and LME stocks MALSTX-TOTAL of the light metal, widely used in manufacturing, consumer goods and automobiles, remain close to a 36-year low.
Aluminium rises on tight supply and better risk sentiment
Aluminium prices rose on Thursday, buoyed by continued supply tightness and a slight improvement in economic risk sentiment, which also boosted other industrial metals.
Benchmark three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.32% at $3,294 a metric ton by 0700 GMT. Earlier, it touched $3,306.50, its highest since August 13.
The most-traded aluminium contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SAFcv1 rose 1.29% to 24,370 yuan ($3,627.68) a ton.
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