Copper Slumps to 17-Month Low on Deepening Recession Concerns

  • ‘The selloff in metals seems to be accelerating,’ analyst says
  • The red metal is widely considered a barometer of the economy

Copper was at $8,045 a ton on the LME as of 8:01 a.m. local time. 

Photographer: Martin Leissl/Bloomberg

Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Copper prices tumbled to a 17-month low, extending last quarter’s slump, as deepening fears about a global economic slowdown drive a rout in industrial commodities.

The red metal, widely considered a barometer of the world economy, fell as much as 3.7% to $7,955 a metric ton in London. Prices collapsed 20% in the three months ended June 30, the worst quarter in a decade. Investors appear increasingly convinced that growth is set to fade amid tightening monetary policy and Europe’s energy crisis.