LME copper settles up $82 at $14,416/t

Copper's firm close against a mixed base metals board points to selective demand strength rather than broad sector momentum. The sharp divergence between tin's modest dip and cobalt's steep fall underscores how supply-side idiosyncrasies, not macro tides, are driving individual metals. For market watchers, the key question is whether copper can sustain its premium amid weakness in aluminum and tin, which would signal a rotation toward industrial demand proxies over energy-intensive metals. Cobalt's outsized drop warrants attention as a potential leading indicator of sentiment in battery and tech supply chains.