The following are the top stories on metals, agriculture and shipping.
ECONOMIC EVENTS:
Forecast Prior Time
(N.Y.)
Construction Spending MoM DEC 0.1% 0.4% 10:00
ISM Manufacturing JAN 58.0 58.5 10:00
ISM Prices Paid JAN 73.5 72.5 10:00
ABC Consumer Confidence JAN 30 -43 -44 17:00
USDA Broiler Eggs Set JAN 28 15:00
METAL PRICES: ($/ton)
Last % Chg RSI
Copper 9,840 +1.0 64
Aluminum 2,541 +0.8 64
Zinc 2,422 -0.2 56
Lead 2,530 +0.8 54
Nickel 27,700 +1.3 73
Tin 29,800 -1.0 78
OTHER MARKETS:
Last % Chg % YTD
U.S. Dollar Index 77.364 -0.5 -2.4
Crude Oil $91.49 -0.8 +23
Gold $1,336.7 +0.3 +21
MSCI World Index 1,314.62 +0.5 +16
TOP STORY:
Copper Rises to Record, Aluminum, Nickel Climb as China Grows
Copper rose to records in London and New York while aluminum and nickel climbed to two-year highs as expanding manufacturing in China added to signs of growth in industrial- metals demand.
COMMODITY EXCLUSIVES:
Commodities Overtake Stocks, Bonds After Two-Day Gain on Egypt
The biggest two-day rally in commodities since December pushed raw materials past stocks, bonds and the dollar for a second month, after Egyptian riots drove oil, wheat and rice higher.
Suez Canal Still Open as Protesters Gather in Cairo (Update1)
Egypt’s Suez Canal, used to carry about 8 percent of global seaborne trade, was operating normally today amid mounting protests against the government, according to an official from the waterway.
China Grain-Stocks Estimate to Be Cut, FAO Director Hallam Says
Chinese grain stocks are lower than previously thought, and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization will cut its estimate of the stockpiles this month, said David Hallam, director of trade and markets at the agency.
JBS Said to Name Wesley Batista to Replace Brother as New CEO
JBS SA, the world’s biggest meat producer, will replace Chief Executive Officer Joesley Batista with his brother Wesley Batista, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Asia’s Naphtha-Cracker Run Rates May Fall on Shutdowns (Update1)
Asia’s ethylene producers may reduce operating rates this year as fewer plants schedule maintenance and Middle East producers step up competition.
Ivory Coast Bondholders Call Default on $2.3 Billion (Update1)
Bondholders said the Ivory Coast has missed its deadline to pay interest on $2.3 billion of bonds, becoming the first country to default in a year. President Laurent Gbagbo’s government said it will pay, without giving a date.
INDUSTRIAL METALS:
Copper Stockpiles in Shanghai Gain to Eight-Month High (Update1)
Copper stockpiles in Shanghai expanded for the first week in three to the highest level since June, Shanghai Futures Exchange said in a report on its website.
Nickel May Rise to $28,300 on ‘V’ Pattern: Technical Analysis
Nickel may climb to $28,300 a metric ton, indicating a 3.5 percent gain, according to technical analysis by independent analyst Jim Stellakis.
MINING:
Centamin Posts Record Output, Unaffected by Politics (Update1)
Centamin Egypt Ltd., a gold company operating in the North African country, reported record output of 53,189 ounces for the fourth quarter and said political instability wasn’t hurting its operations.
Xstrata Steam Coal Output Falls on Rain; Copper Gains (Update1)
Xstrata Plc, the largest exporter of coal used by power stations, said output of the fuel fell 9 percent last year after mines in Australia were disrupted by poor weather and planned closures.
Indonesia Blocks 3.5 Million Tons of Coal Shipments (Update1)
Indonesia’s government has blocked shipments of at least 3.5 million metric tons of coal since Jan. 15, after a delay in issuing new trading permits, an industry group said.
Queensland Braces for ‘Huge, Life-Threatening’ Cyclone (Update3)
The Queensland city of Cairns prepared to evacuate hospitals and urged residents in low-lying areas to leave as the Australian state braced for the strongest cyclone since 2006, just weeks after record flooding.
PRECIOUS METALS:
Gold Climbs in London on Inflation Concern, Egyptian Protests
Gold climbed in London and rebounded from the first monthly drop since July on speculation rising inflation and protests in Egypt will spur demand for the metal.
AGRICULTURE:
Wheat Falls on Speculation Egypt May Limit Imports Amid Unrest
Wheat fell for a third day in four in Chicago on speculation that Egypt, the world’s biggest importer of the grain, may limit purchases until political unrest subsides.
Coffee Climbs to a 28-Month High in London on Supply Concern
Coffee rose to a 28-month high in London after an industry report showed that exports of the robusta variety fell last year, stoking concern about supply.
India’s Top Sugar Producer to Miss Forecast on Rain (Update1)
Sugar output in India’s Maharashtra state, the nation’s biggest producer, may be less than forecast after heavy rain ahead of the harvests reduced the recovery rate and yield, a producers’ group said.
Ivory Coast Cocoa Deliveries Said to Rise 13% From Last Season
Ivory Coast cocoa growers sent about 895,000 metric tons of beans to the ports of Abidjan and San Pedro in the four months to Jan. 30, 13 percent higher than in the same period a year earlier, an industry official with access to the data said.
Rubber Increases as Oil’s Rally Boosts Appeal, Supply Limited
Rubber increased as a rally in oil boosted the appeal of the commodity as an alternative to synthetic products and supply from Thailand was limited before the low-production period begins in major growing areas.
Corn Futures Decline as Rains Boost Crop Prospects in Argentina
Corn futures declined after rains in Argentina eased crop stress, improving prospects for the harvest in the world’s second-largest shipper. Wheat also fell.
SHIPPING:
Mideast Tanker Surplus Is Unchanged Heading Into Chinese Holiday
A surplus of supertankers competing for 2 million-barrel cargoes of Middle East oil was unchanged heading into a weeklong holiday in China, the world’s second- biggest importer of crude.
Suez Canal Transits Continuing as Scheduled, Inchcape Says
Shipping transits through the Suez Canal are continuing as scheduled, Inchcape Shipping Services said in a notice on its website.
Profit Gain in Singapore Bunkers May Jump 24%: Energy Markets
The profit traders can get from selling shipping fuel in Singapore, the world’s second-busiest container port, may rise 24 percent in 2011 after the worst slump in at least two years, a Bloomberg News survey showed.
Freight-Rates Decline Moderates Costs of Food Imports, IGC Says
Declines in shipping costs have moderated the effect of higher grain prices on food-import bills, said Etsuo Kitahara, executive director of the London- based International Grains Council. Following are comments he made at a United Nations commodity conference in Geneva yesterday:
ECONOMIES:
China’s Manufacturing Growth Maintains Rate Pressure (Update1)
China’s manufacturing expanded and input costs climbed, underscoring the case for more interest- rate increases to tame inflation pressures in the fastest- growing major economy.
Banks Boost Insurer Deposit Rates on Cash Crunch: China Credit
China’s banks boosted deposit rates offered to insurers by as much as a percentage point in the past month, seeking to lure cash as record-high reserve requirements strain their finances, according to Ping An Securities Co.
China’s January Home Prices Rise Most in 6 Months, SouFun Says
China’s January home prices rose 1 percent, the biggest month-on-month gain in six months, according to SouFun Holdings Ltd., as homebuyers defied the government’s property curbs.
BOE Will Raise Rate Three Times This Year, Niesr Says (Update1)
The Bank of England will raise its key interest rate three times this year to prevent a surge in consumer prices from getting entrenched in the economy, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research said.
Fed’s Easy Money Helps European Banks Refinance: Credit Markets
The Federal Reserve’s policies for stimulating the U.S. economy are allowing European banks to sell a record amount of dollar-denominated bonds to refinance about $1 trillion of debt maturing this year.
German January Unemployment Falls to 18-Year Low (Update2)
German unemployment fell to an 18- year low in January, stoking concerns that the world’s second- largest exporter is running short of skilled labor after the fastest economic expansion since reunification in 1990.
U.K. House Prices Fall on Economic Outlook, Inflation (Update3)
U.K. house prices fell in January as accelerating inflation squeezed consumers and uncertainty about the economic recovery curbed property demand, Nationwide Building Society said.
OTHER MARKETS:
Stocks Rise on Economy as Dollar Weakens; Copper Jumps to Record
Stocks rose, led by mining companies, and the Dollar Index fell to a 12-week low as Chinese manufacturing grew and Egypt’s military said it won’t fire on anti-government demonstrators. Copper climbed to a record.
Dollar Weakens on Signs Global Recovery Improving; Won Gains
The dollar fell for a second day against the euro and slid against the yen amid speculation that a global economic recovery is building momentum, boosting stock markets and reducing demand for safer assets.
European Stocks Rise for First Day in Three; BHP, Infineon Gain
European stocks rose for the first time in three days before a report that may show manufacturing in the U.S. grew in January for an 18th consecutive month. Asian shares and U.S. index futures gained.
Crude Rally Ends on Signs of Reduced Risk From Egyptian Unrest
Oil dropped from a two-year high as concern eased that supplies through the Suez Canal may be disrupted by unrest in Egypt. Brent crude traded above $100 a barrel for a second day.
Fed May Be Fueling U.K., EU, Commodity-Price Inflation, RBC Says
The Federal Reserve’s program of asset purchases may be fueling an “inflation problem” inEurope even as price rises in the U.S. remain subdued, according to Royal Bank of Canada.
Egyptians Gather to March Against Mubarak as Ruler Offers Talks
Egyptian protesters began gathering in Cairo for a march aimed at drawing a million people onto the streets and forcing President Hosni Mubarak from power.
SPORTS:
Spurs Miss Out on Signing Charlie Adam ‘by Minutes’: Roundup
The following is a roundup of soccer stories from U.K. media, with clickable links to the Web.
Liverpool Sells Torres to Chelsea for U.K. Record, Gets Carroll
Liverpool sold Fernando Torres to English Premier League soccer rival Chelsea for what it said was a U.K.-record transfer fee and signed Newcastle United’s Andy Carroll as the Spanish striker’s replacement.
(Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-01/u-s-commodities-day-ahead-copper-advances-to-record-on-demand.html)
CLARK FREEPORT - The Yokohama Rubber Company, Limited (YRCL), has bared plans for an increased 10-million-tire yearly production capacity for Yokohama Tire Philippines Inc. (YTPI), a local passenger-car tire manufacturing and sales company located inside this Freeport Zone.
KOTTAYAM, FEB. 1: 
According to statistics, accumulated sales volume of rubber products in China has reached approximately $33.45 billion between January and May of 2010, with a growth of 35.38 percent on a year-on-year basis, whereas the growth rate enjoyed an increase of 31.57 percent compared with the same period of last year. Stimulated by the promising prospect of conveyor belts and rubber tube, rubber seal, small seal, rubber snubber for building and rubber products for automotive, the Chinese rubber industry has overcome the adversity brought on by the global financial crisis and now is growing rapidly.
or tyre companies, financial results in the third quarter this financial year pose a paradox. Robust top line growth notwithstanding, tyre firms are taking huge dent on profits owing to three-times spurt in natural rubber prices. 
Shortage of tappers is the most important problem facing the rubber plantation sector in Kerala, said Sri. V.J. Kurian, Chairman, Rubber Board. It is in order to address this problem that the Board has launched a new scheme to introduce labourers from other states, on a large scale, to plantations in Kerala, he said in a message sent to the state level inauguration of the training programme for non-Keralite tappers, held at Pampady (Kottayam district in Kerala).
Tokyo (february 01, 2011) : key tokyo rubber futures retreated from their early highs and ended lower on monday as oil prices lost steam after rising on concerns that tensions in egypt might spread across the middle east, while a stronger yen also capped the market's gains. the benchmark rubber contract on the tokyo commodity exchange for july delivery rose as much as 6.6 yen or 1.4 percent in early trade to 475.7 yen per kg, but settled at 466 yen, down 3.1 yen or 0.7 percent.