Copper futures hovered near $5.7 per pound on Monday, holding losses from the past two weeks as a strong dollar and elevated US Treasury yields continued to weigh on the metals complex. Traders also monitored escalating tensions in the Middle East after the US struck military targets on Iran’s main oil-export hub of Kharg Island over the weekend, heightening supply risks and pushing oil prices higher. Reports indicated the US may soon announce a coalition of countries to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, which could further influence energy markets and global trade flows. Meanwhile, concerns over slowing demand from China, the world’s largest copper consumer, added pressure, with slowing construction activity weighing on metal consumption. Higher energy costs and rising inflationary pressures have also lowered expectations that the US Federal Reserve and other major central banks will cut interest rates, creating additional headwinds for non-yielding metals.
