Copper futures rose to about $6.33 per pound on Thursday, rebounding from the previous session’s losses as investors reacted positively to the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unchanged, easing worries about industrial metals demand. Still, three FOMC members dissented in favor of a rate increase, and Chair Kevin Warsh emphasized that holding rates steady should not be interpreted as policy inertia.
Attention now turns to the Politburo meeting in top consumer China, where policymakers are widely expected to avoid unveiling major new stimulus initiatives, focusing instead on implementing existing fiscal measures to shore up the slowing economy. At the same time, copper prices remain underpinned by a supportive long-term demand outlook, fueled by the global energy transition and the rapid build-out of artificial intelligence data centers.