METALS-Shanghai copper falls; dimmer global growth cues weigh
SINGAPORE, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Shanghai copper fell half a percent on Monday while London copper was little changed, as traders played catch up after a week-long holiday, with metals weighed down by weaker global growth cues including a deeper-than-expected recession in the euro zone.
FUNDAMENTALS
* The most-traded May copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell by 0.64 percent to 59,350 yuan ($9,500) a tonne by 0112 GMT.
* Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange traded at $8,209.75 a tonne, little changed from the previous session when it closed down 0.3 percent on the day and 1 percent from the week before.
* London copper hit a four month-peak of $8,346 in early February but has since struggled to get traction. Traders hope that a return by top consumer China this week could help set a floor under prices.
* The Group of 20 nations declared on Saturday there would be no currency war and deferred plans to set new debt-cutting targets, underlining broad concern about the fragile state of the world economy.
* U.S. manufacturing got off to a weak start this year as motor vehicle output tumbled in January, but a rebound in factory activity in New York state this month suggested any setback would be temporary.
* The euro zone slipped deeper than expected into recession in the last three months of 2012 after its largest economies, Germany and France, shrank at the end of a wretched year for the region.
* Guinea's government on Friday published contracts it has signed with mining firms including majors Rio Tinto and RUSAL in a bid for more transparency in a sector plagued by corruption and mismanagement.
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MARKETS NEWS
* Japanese shares rallied and the yen fell on Monday after Tokyo escaped direct criticism from its G20 peers on its aggressive reflationary plans that have weakened the currency.
DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 0900 Euro zone Current account 0900 Euro zone Net investment flow 1430 European Central Bank President Mario Draghi testifies at the European Parliament PRICES
Base metals prices at 0112 GMT
Metal Last Change Pct Move YTD pct chg LME Cu 8209.75 2.75 +0.03 3.54 SHFE CU FUT MAY3 59350 -380 -0.64 2.90 HG COPPER MAR3 372.70 -1.00 -0.27 2.04 LME Alum 2160.00 -7.00 -0.32 4.30 SHFE AL FUT MAY3 15275 65 +0.43 -0.46 LME Zinc 2168.75 -6.25 -0.29 5.10 SHFE ZN FUT MAY3 15850 305 +1.96 1.96 LME Nickel 18310.00 -65.00 -0.35 6.73 LME Lead 2435.00 2.00 +0.08 4.06 SHFE PB FUT -- -- -- -- LME Tin 24800.00 0.00 +0.00 5.98 LME/Shanghai arb^ 701
Shanghai and COMEX contracts show most active months