Copper Falls as Sagging European Economy May Damp Metal Demand

Copper fell for the first time in four sessions as the slowest growth in the euro-area economy in two years spurred concern that metal demand will decline.

The European Union statistics office said today that gross domestic product rose 0.2 percent in the second quarter from the first, In Germany, the region’s biggest economy, growth almost stalled. U.S. housing starts fell in July, and building permits, a proxy for future construction, also dropped, government figures showed today.