BLBG: Copper Rises as ‘Euphoria’ of Greek Bailout May Sustain Growth
By Millie Munshi
April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Copper rose the most in a week on speculation that a rescue package for Greece will limit fiscal deficits in Europe and help sustain global growth.
European leaders’ pledge to help Greece with a 45 billion- euro ($61 billion) aid package is a “defining moment,” Barclays Capital said. The country today drew stronger demand at a debt auction on increased investor confidence. Copper has gained for three straight weeks on speculation that the global expansion will accelerate, boosting raw-material demand.
“There’s some continued euphoria about the Greek bailout package,” said Matthew Zeman, a trader at LaSalle Futures Group in Chicago. “People are feeling good about the situation now and seeing this in the context of a better overall macro picture.”
Copper futures for May delivery added 1.15 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $3.576 a pound at 9:41 a.m. on the Comex in New York. A close at that price would be the biggest one-day gain for a most-active contract since April 5.
Prices also gained as a weaker dollar boosted demand for commodities as alternative assets, Zeman said. The greenback dropped as much as 0.4 percent against a basket of six major currencies.
On the London Metal Exchange, copper for delivery in three months slipped $9, or 0.1 percent, to $7,896 a ton ($3.58 a pound), after earlier rising as much as 0.3 percent. Aluminum, nickel, lead and zinc fell. Tin was little changed.
--Editors: Steve Stroth, Patrick McKiernan.
To contact the reporter on the story: Millie Munshi in New York at mmunshi@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Steve Stroth at sstroth@bloomberg.net.