Copper is a bellwether commodity, and while many market participants never take a long or short position in the red metal, most watch the price of copper. Copper is a barometer for the economic wellbeing of the global economy. The base metal is also the leader of the nonferrous sector of the commodities market that trades on the London Metals Exchange. Along with aluminum, nickel, lead, zinc, and tin, copper tends to reflect shifts in economic conditions moving higher during periods of expansion and lower during contractions.
The base metals are highly sensitive to economic