Metals markets faltered on Thursday, with Shanghai zinc futures sliding by their 5 percent limit after London metal dropped more than 7 percent from a near three-month high the previous day.
Support from rebalancing the Dow Jones AIG (nyse: AIG - news - people ) Index and S&P GSCI faded and investors refocused on U.S. jobs data. Wednesday saw a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. private-sector jobs, which could foreshadow more grim non-farm payrolls data from the U.S. government on Friday.
"The selling will continue through Thursday after a good run. Prices are still a bit toppy and metals could follow energy's steep delines," said MF Global analyst Edward Meir in New York.
