Updates prices, adds SHFE stocks detail

By Mai Nguyen

Oct 18 (Reuters) -Copper prices rose on Friday, buoyed by China's measures to boost liquidity in the stock market and expectations of more stimulus after weak economic growth data.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange CMCU3 rose 1.2% to $9,629 per metric ton by 0743 GMT, while the most-traded November copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SCFcv1 closed up 0.3% at 76,980 yuan ($10,827.77) a ton.

"Market is moving on more policy measures details and data released by China this morning. Q3 GDP growth slowed, hence the pressure is on policy makers to push out more stimulus," said a trader, noting that better-than-expected industrial output and retail sales data also lent support.

China's economy grew at the slowest pace since early 2023 in the third quarter and its property sector continued to show sharp weakness, while consumption and industrial output figures for September beat forecasts.

China's central bank kicked off two funding schemes that will initially pump as much as 800 billion yuan into the stock market, boosting Chinese equities.

The central bank governor also flagged potential interest rate cuts by year-end.

Measures aimed at increasing liquidity in the capital market are also bullish for metals, the trader said.

However, rising copper inventories in China capped the price gains. SHFE copper stocks rose 7.6% week-on-week to 168,425 tons, the highest since Sept. 9.

LME aluminium CMAL3 rose 1% to $2,578 a ton, tin CMSN3 climbed 1.2% to $31,600, zinc CMZN3 edged up 0.4% to $3,063, lead CMPB3 increased 0.1% to $2,072, while nickel CMNI3 was flat at $17,005.

SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 fell 0.5% to 20,600 yuan a ton, nickel SNIcv1 dropped 2.2% to 128,750 yuan, and tin SSNcv1 dropped 1.8% to 258,160 yuan, tracking overnight losses in London. Lead SPBcv1 edged up 0.2% at 16,760 yuan and zinc SZNcv1 rose 0.1% to 25,045 yuan.

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($1 = 7.1095 Chinese yuan)

Reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi; Editing by Sumana Nandy and Subhranshu Sahu

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