Copper Rises as Unexpected Retail-Sales Gain Aids Demand Outlook

Copper rose for a second straight session in New York as an unexpected gain in U.S. retail sales eased concern that slowing industrial growth in China will curb demand for metals.

Sales at U.S. retailers climbed 0.1 percent in April, beating the forecast for a 0.3 percent drop in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The report adds to signs of an improving U.S. economy as housing and hiring improve, helping erase copper losses after a report showed a smaller-than-expected increase in industrial output from China, the largest metals user.