RTRS: India copper recoups losses on global leads, rupee
India's copper futures recouped the previous day's losses on Wednesday tracking markets in London and on a weaker rupee, analysts said.
"Our view is still bearish on copper given demand woes and high level of inventories," said an analyst at a Mumbai-based commodity brokerage.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange traded 1.52 percent higher at $2,870 a tonne after plunging to a four-year low on dismal U.S. housing data and lingering concerns over the economic slowdown.
Data showed U.S. sales of newly built single family homes fell 2.9 percent in November, to the weakest level in 17 years, [nN23533701] and sales of existing homes fell 8.6 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors.[ID:nN23533199]
The U.S. government also released its final report on third-quarter gross domestic product, showing economic growth contracted 0.5 percent, unchanged from last month's estimate, reinforcing the bleak demand picture for raw materials such as copper. [ID:nN23530274] At 10:45 a.m., the benchmark February copper contract MCCG9 was 0.45 percent higher at 144.30 rupees per kg. The contract shed 2.7 percent the previous session.
At 10.45 a.m., December zinc MZIZ8 traded 0.36 percent higher at 55.40 rupees per kg, and December lead MLDZ8 was 1.64 percent higher at 43.45 rupees per kg. (Reporting by Siddesh Mayenkar; Editing by Harish Nambiar)