Copper is a metal that is a building block for infrastructure around the world. Many market participants refer to the red metal as "Doctor Copper" as the price direction of the nonferrous metal often reflects the current state of the global economy. During periods of economic expansion, the price of copper tends to move higher, and contraction often leads to lower prices.
Before 2005, the price of copper never traded above $1.6065 per pound. Economic growth in China, the world's most populous nation, caused demand for the metal to soar this century taking the price