Copper rose 11 percent in the quarter, up more than any other quarter since surging of almost 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. The first-quarter gain came on the heels of an 8-percent rise in the final three months of 2011, as European debt crisis fears receded and healthier economic signals in the United States helped drive investment demand at a time when fears about an impending slowdown in China, which accounts for about 40 percent of global copper demand, have escalated.
Copper ends first quarter up 11 percent despite China fears
Copper rose 11 percent in the quarter, up more than any other quarter since surging of almost 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2010. The first-quarter gain came on the heels of an 8-percent rise in the final three months of 2011, as European debt crisis fears receded and healthier economic signals in the United States helped drive investment demand at a time when fears about an impending slowdown in China, which accounts for about 40 percent of global copper demand, have escalated.