Today we are talking about copper. First of all, why is this so important? This metal is an essential element used by humans for thousands of years. As a result, it has a wide range of applications, from electrical wiring and plumbing to construction and transportation. Copper’s importance for the future economy and the planet can be attributed to several factors as listed below.
Copper and Renewable Energy
Copper is essential for producing renewable energy technologies such as wind turbines, solar panels, and electric vehicles. These technologies require large amounts of copper in their construction, making copper a crucial material for developing a sustainable energy system.
Infrastructure
Copper is a vital component of infrastructure development, including buildings, bridges, and transportation systems. With the increasing demand for infrastructure in developing countries and the need for upgrading existing infrastructure in developed countries, copper is expected to play a critical role in the future economy.
The Electric Grid
Copper is the preferred material for conducting electricity due to its high conductivity, which means less energy loss during transmission. As the electricity demand grows worldwide, copper’s importance in the electric grid will only increase.
Economy Health
Yes, there is a correlation between the price of copper and the economy’s health. As a result, copper is often referred to as a “barometer” of the economy because its price tends to reflect changes in economic activity.
When the economy is growing, and the demand for goods and services is high, the need for copper also tends to be high, driving up the price of copper. Conversely, when the economy is in a downturn, and the demand for goods and services is low, the need for copper also tends to be low, leading to a decrease in the price of copper.
Copper is widely used in construction, manufacturing, and infrastructure development, all sensitive to changes in the overall economy. Therefore, fluctuations in copper prices can provide insight into the state of the economy.
For example, a sustained increase in copper prices may indicate a growing demand for goods and services, increased construction and infrastructure development, and overall economic growth. On the other hand, a sustained decrease in copper prices may signal a slowdown in economic activity and a potential recession.
Conclusion
In summary, the price of copper is an essential indicator of the economy’s health, with rising prices indicating economic growth and falling prices suggesting economic contraction. We can see this in the chart that shows the price of it and the price of SPX; the correlation is really easy to observe.
On Wednesday, copper prices in London and on the Comex increased due to an improvement in market confidence, particularly in the banking sector. This positive sentiment helped the metals market bounce back recently, with copper showing signs of breaking to the upside. However, the rise in copper prices was limited by a stronger dollar, which made dollar-priced metals more expensive for buyers using other currencies. The benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.2% at $8,992.5 a tonne by 1557 GMT. Although demand from China, the world’s largest copper consumer, is expected to recover in Q2 2023, the evolution of the macro landscape, the dollar movements, and risk appetite will be crucial in driving price moves in the metal.
Chinese consumers’ rebound in copper demand has supported prices and the urgent need to fulfill inventory needs ahead of the expected demand surge in 2023. The easing of China’s Covid-19 restrictions and its pivot away from its strict zero-Covid policy to boost demand for industrial metals, including copper, in the coming months, particularly as multiple stimulus measures are adopted to support the domestic construction sector. The copper market will remain in deficit in the long run due to the accelerating green transition and demand for “green” metals such as copper.
Additionally, analysts from many trading firms and top banks have suggested that copper supply is low in the global marketplace. As a result, the metal should trade in deficit territory through 2023, possibly reaching a new high price. Therefore, fundamentally, copper looks more bullish, according to many analysts expecting the price of copper to reach new highs by the end of 2023 and up to $12,000 a tonne by the end of 2024. As a result, a trader or an investor could use the futures contracts or mining stocks to speculate on the future price of copper.
Want to discuss this further? Contact us today to strategize your trading portfolio.