The Standard & Poor’s GSCI gauge of 24 commodities rose 0.5 percent to 653.11 at 4 p.m. in New York. Natural gas and cocoa led the advance, while nickel declined. The UBS Bloomberg CMCI index of 26 raw materials gained 0.6 percent to 1,581.247. NATURAL GAS Natural gas futures advanced for the first time in four days after a government report showed that U.S. stockpiles declined by the most in almost two years. Gas gained 2.6 percent after the Energy Information Administration said inventories fell 201 billion cubic feet in the seven days ended Jan. 4 to 3.316 trillion cubic feet, the biggest weekly decline since February 2011. Analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg showed an expected drop of 191 billion. Natural gas for February delivery rose 8 cents to settle at $3.193 per million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Prices have climbed 8.6 percent from a year ago. U.S. natural gas: NI NUSMKT BASE METALS Copper climbed for the first time in six sessions in New York as trade data for all goods signaled an economic rebound in China, the world’s biggest metals consumer. Aluminum gained for a fourth day. Chinese customs figures showed today that total exports jumped 14 percent in December from a year earlier. That was the biggest increase since May and more than the 5 percent gain predicted by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. A broad measure of credit surged 28 percent, according to the central bank. Copper futures for delivery in March advanced 1 percent to settle at $3.709 a pound on the Comex in New York. The metal fell 1.8 percent in the previous five sessions, the longest string of declines since late October. On the LME, copper for delivery in three months rose 0.4 percent to $8,115 a ton ($3.68 a pound). Aluminum for delivery in three months gained 1.9 percent to $2,113.50 a ton on the LME. Demand for the lightweight metal in China will rise 11 percent this year, aided by stimulus spending, according to Alcoa Inc. (AA), the biggest U.S. producer. Lead, zinc and tin climbed in London. Nickel fell. Base metals markets: NI BMMKTS CRUDE OIL Oil rose to the highest level in three months as exports from China accelerated and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said “a gradual recovery should start� in the region this year. Crude oil for February delivery gained 72 cents to $93.82 a barrel on the Nymex, the highest settlement since Sept. 18. Brent oil for February settlement increased 13 cents to $111.89 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Brent’s premium to New York futures narrowed 59 cents to $18.07 a barrel, the narrowest spread since Sept. 24. Oil markets: NI CRMKTS PRECIOUS METALS Gold jumped the most in more than two months after Draghi said economic weakness in the region will continue into 2013, boosting speculation that policy makers will do more to revive growth. Gold futures for February delivery gained 1.4 percent to settle at $1,678 an ounce on the Comex in New York, the biggest jump for a most-active contract since Nov. 6. Silver futures for March delivery advanced 2.2 percent to $30.918 an ounce in New York, the third gain in four days. On the Nymex, platinum futures for April delivery jumped 2.1 percent to $1,634.30 an ounce, the biggest climb since Sept. 12. Palladium futures for March delivery gained 2 percent to $702.20 an ounce, the second straight rise. Precious metal markets: NI PCMKTS SOFT COMMODITIES Orange-juice futures gained the most in four weeks on speculation that the U.S. will cut its forecast for output in Florida, the world’s second-biggest citrus grower. Sugar, coffee, cocoa and cotton also advanced. Orange juice for March delivery rose 1.5 percent to settle at $1.124 a pound on ICE Futures U.S. in New York, the biggest gain for a most-active contract since Dec. 13. A box weighs 90 pounds, or 41 kilograms. Brazil is the top producer. Raw-sugar futures for March delivery climbed 1.3 percent to 18.96 cents a pound in New York. Arabica-coffee futures for March delivery increased 1.2 percent to $1.4965 a pound. Cocoa futures for March delivery rallied 2.1 percent to $2,269 a metric ton. Cotton futures for March delivery advanced 0.5 percent to 75.2 cents a pound. Soft commodities markets: NI SOMKTS GRAINS, OILSEEDS Wheat fell for the third straight day on speculation that the U.S. Department of Agriculture tomorrow will say winter seeding from September through November surged to a four-year high. Wheat futures for March delivery fell 0.1 percent to settle at $7.445 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade. Last quarter, the price tumbled 14 percent, the most since mid-2011, on prospects for improving supplies. In the U.S., wheat is the fourth-largest crop, valued at $14.4 billion in 2011, behind corn, soybeans and hay, government data show. Corn rose for a fourth day, capping the longest rally since October, on speculation that the worst drought since the 1930s sent U.S. inventories to a nine-year low. Soybeans declined. Corn futures for March delivery climbed 0.6 percent to close at $6.9875 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade, capping the first four-day rally since Oct. 19. Prices rallied as much as 68 percent since mid-June to a record $8.49 on Aug. 10 before retreating. Soybean futures for March delivery slid 0.4 percent to $13.7975 a bushel in Chicago. The most-active contract has fallen 23 percent since reaching a record $17.89 on Sept. 4 as rains boosted crops in Brazil and Argentina, the two biggest producers after the U.S. last year. Grain markets: NI GRMKTS OIL PRODUCTS Heating oil fell after imports of gasoil to the U.S. East Coast increased, replenishing stockpiles. Heating oil for February delivery declined 1.56 cents, or 0.5 percent, to settle at $3.0543 a gallon on the Nymex. Gasoline for February delivery advanced 1.44 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $2.7933 a gallon. The average nationwide retail price for regular gasoline gained 0.6 cent to $3.31 a gallon, AAA said today on its website. That’s the highest price since Dec. 11. U.S. oil product futures: NI OPFMKT LIVESTOCK Hog futures climbed the most in more than a week on signs of increasing demand for U.S. pork. Cattle prices were unchanged. Hog futures for February settlement rose 0.5 percent to close at 84.6 cents a pound on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. That marks the biggest gain for the most-active contract since Jan. 2. Cattle futures for February delivery settled unchanged at $1.3155 a pound on the CME. Prices lost 1.1 percent in the previous two sessions. Feeder-cattle futures for March settlement slipped 0.6 percent to $1.52925 a pound in Chicago. Livestock markets: NI LVMKTS To contact the reporter on this story: Christine Buurma in New York at cbuurma1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Stets at dstets@bloomberg.net

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