SMM Morning Comments (Dec 3): Shanghai base metals fell across the board as longs left with profits

SHANGHAI, Dec 3 (SMM) — Nonferrous metals on the SHFE all moved lower on Thursday morning as longs left the market with profits, while their counterparts on the LME set for mixed start.

Shanghai base metals fell across the board in overnight trading. Copper slid 0.44%, aluminium declined 1.16%, zinc fell 1.55%, lead weakened 1.25%, nickel slipped 0.99% and tin edged down 0.19%.

The LME complex, except for aluminium, cruised lower on Wednesday. Copper weakened 0.32%, zinc slid 0.88%, lead dropped 0.82%, nickel declined 1.57% and tin edged down 0.11% while aluminium inched up 0.12%.

Copper: Three-month LME copper ended 0.32% lower at $7,675/mt on Wednesday, and is expected to trade between $7,630-7,710/mt today.

The most-active SHFE 2101 copper contract closed 0.44% weaker at 57,120 yuan/mt in overnight trading, with open interest decreasing 3,621 lots to 133,000 lots.

Data released by the ADP National Employment Report overnight showed US private payrolls rose by 307,000 jobs in November, lower than economists’ forecast for a 410,000 rise in new jobs. It was also the smallest monthly increase since May. On Capitol Hill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement calling on Republicans to work with them on another round of Covid relief funding, using a bipartisan proposal from Senate moderates as a starting point. Optimistic market sentiment limited the downward room for copper futures prices.

Zinc: Three-month LME zinc settled 0.88% lower at $2,749.5/mt on Wednesday after hitting a more than one-week low of $2,772/mt earlier in the session. Zinc stocks across LME-listed warehouses shrank 225 mt or 0.1% to 220,275 mt. US private payrolls in November fell short of expectations, suggesting that non-farm employment data set for release on Friday may likely to decline. But expectations of a US stimulus bill and positive Covid vaccine news limited the decline in zinc prices. LME zinc is likely to trade between $2,730-2,780/mt today.

The most-traded SHFE 2101 zinc contract declined 1.55% to close at 20,930 yuan/mt in overnight trading, with open interest falling 5,312 lots to 88,781 lots. It is expected to move between 20,700-21,200 yuan/mt today, while spot premiums for domestic 0# Shuangyan will be seen at 130-140 yuan/mt against the January contract.

Nickel: The most-active SHFE 2102 nickel contract fell to a more than one-week low of 117,480 yuan/mt after the bell of the overnight trading, but later recouped some losses to end 0.99% lower at 118,810 yuan/mt, with open interest falling 1,226 lots to 150,000 lots.

Lead: Three-month LME lead climbed to touch an intraday high of $2,073/mt in the European trading hours on Wednesday before falling sharply to an intraday low of $2,027.5/mt. The contract settled 0.82% weaker at $2,052/mt.

The most-liquid SHFE 2101 lead contract slumped to a nearly two-week low of 14,820 yuan/mt in overnight trading before reversing some losses to close 1.25% weaker at 14,955 yuan/mt, generating a V-shaped movement. Positive domestic macroeconomic environment and firm secondary lead costs limited the drop in lead prices.

Tin: Three-month LME tin ended 0.11% lower at $18,805/mt on Wednesday, and is expected to trade between $18,500-19,000/mt today.

The most-liquid SHFE 2102 tin contract fell rapidly to a one-month low of 145,200 yuan/mt after the bell of the overnight trading, before wiping out some losses to close 0.19% lower at 146,060 yuan/mt. Support below will be seen from around 145,000 yuan/mt today.