|

Copper doing well in 2025

Copper prices in the U.S. have surged ahead of those in the rest of world and hit a record last week, a sign the mere threat of tariffs is lifting costs for domestic manufacturers.

Benchmark U.S. copper futures ended Monday at $5.02 a pound, up 26% this year. That compares with an 11% gain to $9,673 a metric ton, or about $4.39 a pound, on the London Metal Exchange, which is the global trading hub.

U.S. copper futures have been the top performer among major commodities in the first quarter. Prices for the industrial metal last week topped the record set in May but have since pulled back. Copper’s gains have outpaced the 21% rise in lumber futures, which was also fueled by uncertainty over tariffs.

Source – Wall Street Journal

Similar Posts

  • / /

    Analysts poll on gold and silver

    Analysts in a quarterly Reuters poll have forecast an average annual gold price above $3,000 for the first time, with global trade friction and a swing away from the U.S. dollar powering demand.

    The poll of 29 analysts and traders returned a median forecast of $3,065 per troy ounce of gold for this year, up from $2,756 predicted in a poll three months ago. The estimated price for 2026 rose to $3,000 from $2,700.

    The poll forecast an average 2025 silver price of $33.10 per ounce, unchanged from the previous survey. It has averaged $32 so far this year.

    Analysts lifted their 2026 silver price forecast to $34.58 from $33.45, expecting a structural market deficit and the global clean energy transition to provide support.

    Source – Reuters

  • /

    Copper’s early-year rally leaves investors unimpressed

    The London Metal Exchange three-month price has risen every day in January and is now up 4.0% from the start of the month, making copper the early outperformer of the LME base metals pack.

    Dwindling stocks and China’s rising import appetite have rekindled optimism that the country is finally turning an economic corner.

    Fund managers are unconvinced, with investors’ long positions only marginally ahead of bearish bets on both the CME and LME copper contracts.

    The Yangshan copper premium , a closely-watched gauge of China’s import demand, is currently at a one-year high of $75 per ton, indicating China is still hungry for metal.

    Source – Reuters

  • /

    Central banks are stocking up

    They bought over 1,000 tonnes of the precious metal last year, double the average amount purchased in the previous decade, according to a European Central Bank report published on Wednesday.

    The authors wrote that global holdings of gold by reserve banks increased to 36,000 metric tons in 2024, close to the record of 38,000 metric tons reached around 60 years ago.

    Now, central bank reserves are composed of, on average, the dollar, at 46%, gold, at 20%, other currencies at 18%, and the euro at 16%.

    Source – Business Insider

  • /

    Silver will get to $35….eventually

    The Thursday session sees a bit of consolidation in the silver market, as we are not trying to digest further gains from the Wednesday session. At this point, the market looks as if it want to go to the $35 level eventually.

    Silver is a metal that I would be a buyer on dips because it is a precious metal. It’s a way to protect wealth, but it’s also an industrial one.

    Source – FX Empire