CIJENE OBOJENIH METALA NA BURZI U LONDONU

LONDONSKA BURZA KOVINA: SLUŽBENE CIJENE 04.07.1997. LME OFFICIAL PRICES - JUL 04 CASH 3 MTHS 15 MTHS 27 MTHS SETT COPPER 2557.0/58.0 2402.0/03.0 2160.0/70.0 2050.0/60.0 2558 (STG EQV) 1517.92 1430.07 TIN 5489/5490 5530/5535 5670/5680 5490 LEAD 644.00/4.50 655.00/6.00 670.00/5.00 644.5 (STG EQV) 382.45 390.4 ZINC 1466.5/67.5 1475.0/75.5 1345.0/50.0 1273.0/78.0 1467.5 ALU.HG 1575.0/75.5 1599.0/99.5 1628.0/33.0 1632.0/37.0 1575.5 NICKEL 6820/6825 6915/6916 7205/7225 7430/7450 6825 ALALLOY 1410.5/11.5 1440.0/43.0 1500.0/20.0 1411.5 SETTLEMENT RATES - GBP 1.6852 DEM 1.7528 JPY 113.52 LME bides time at midsession, prices wilt slightly LONDON, July 4 (Reuter) - Base metal business was slow during Friday LME trading, with a holiday-affected market almost grinding to a halt at times. Contracts tended to drift lower after an early upside move, with copper and aluminium around psychological downside levels. Lead hit a three-month high, then got bogged down, while zinc consolidated some way under Thursday's 6-3/4 year highs. "There is very little to say really. There is a U.S. holiday (Independence Day), a bit of a chart correction and nothing exciting in the stocks," one trader said. Lead sparkled during the pre-market, when prices snapped higher on speculative buying and some buy-stops, before a three-month peak of $663 was the signal for some resistance to kick in. "It (the advance) was partly due to zinc recently, and there is also a bit of tightness in September. But mostly, it seems the funds just bought a bit," another trader said. Commission house buying kicked in on dips, and last kerb business was at $658 a tonne, up $19 from Thursday's kerb close. Lead was the exception to the trend, as all other metals moved lower this morning. Copper spent most of the session aimlessly just above $2,400, with the spread holding at a $150/155 backwardation. July tightness was underlined by July/threes business at $160, and July/two weeks at $80. A copper trader said that the July tightness was preventing the market drifting back with physical activity slowing all the time. Prices closed the kerb at $2,403, down $1. Zinc held in a tight range throughout the session, indicative of a market taking a well-needed breather after some stunning advances this week. Traders expect the underlying scenario of forward tightness to result in the market testing $1,500 once the correction has run its course. Three months closed the kerb at $1,471, down $5. Aluminium came to life when prices dropped under $1,600 momentarily, with some short-covering arresting the decline. Another stock fall helped the market, which was $1.50 softer at $1,604. There was little significant interest in the other metals, with nickel drifting back slightly to $6,920, down $10. Alloy was about $7 easier at $1,450, while tin was neglected and indicated at a little-changed $5,525/30. 041506 MET jul 97