20:32  KeT4yn: China failed to sell most of the 20,000 tons of copper on auction today, traders said. The State Reserve Bureau, the government stockpiling arm, managed to sell only about 4,000 tons of the total on offer at prices ranging from 38,300-39,050 yuan per ton. The previous auction late last month fetched prices ranging from 37,500-38,500 yuan. China has been trying to boost supplies on the domestic market and push down prices through sales of copper from its reserves. It has held four auctions since mid-November. Traders said that they had hoped the State Reserve Bureau, an agency under the powerful National Development and Reform Commission, would reduce the floor price because of the failure to sell off some of the copper at two of the previous auctions. They added that the unexpectedly high floor price convinced many eligible firms not to make bids at this auction. Only manufacturers participated in the auction today whereas traders had been permitted to bid in past sales. Copper prices have hit record highs since the markets seized on reports that Liu Qibing, a trader working for the State Reserve Bureau, went missing after taking large short positions in the belief prices would fall. Local media reports have said that Liu has been taken into police custody. The State Reserve Bureau insists that Liu was acting on his own when he took positions in the market. China, which says it has 1.3 mln tons of copper stockpiled, has been attempting to force down prices since then in an effort to avoid potential losses on the contracts, which are believed to fall due Dec 21

20:35  news_robot: Господа, в разделе Фондовый рынок появился новый комментарий

20:42  KeT4yn: The price of platinum is expected to ease from its 25 year record highs in the coming twelve months but it will not collapse on the back of substitution of palladium for platinum in autocats several sources told Platts Tuesday. Barclays Capital have forecast platinum to average $910/oz in 2006, Johnson Matthey have forecast platinum to trade a $890-1,030/mt range over the next five months and Heraeus told Platts Tuesday that it expects platinum to possibly fall to $850/oz in 2006 but only briefly, before rebounding above $900/oz. These are prices that were seen in recent months and before the speculative community became heavily involved in the market, sources said.