Metals-Zinc extends gains, hovers at four-year high on regional tightness
XLB•Other base metals are mixed
Among other metals, aluminium CMAL3 and lead CMPB3 were flat at $3,238 a ton and $1,905 respectively, nickel CMNI3 was slightly weaker at $17,040 and tin CMSN3 shed 0.7% to $55,450.
($1 = 6.7202 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Copper eases as markets await U.S. inflation data
Three-month LME copper CMCU3, which has also been hit by falling inventories and supply worries, dipped 0.1% in official activity to $14,335 a ton, having earlier touched its highest in six months at $14,437.
The most-traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SCFcv1 rose 0.6% to 108,750 yuan ($16,182.55) a ton.
The metal, nicknamed Dr Copper for its use as a barometer of wider economic health, was restrained as markets awaited U.S. inflation data due at 1230 GMT.
The uncertainty offset price support from waning LME inventories as non-traditional copper participants including hedge funds and other speculative investors trade on inventory data showing falling warehouse stocks.
