Aluminum set for longest gain in a decade as demand rises

Aluminum was poised for a sixth monthly advance, the longest rally in a decade, on speculation of growing demand from improving economies in China and the U.S., the two biggest consumers of industrial metals.

The contract for delivery in three months on the London Metal Exchange slid 0.3 percent to $2,016 a metric ton at 11:10 a.m. in Tokyo. The metal rose 2 percent yesterday, the most since July 2. Prices are up 6.6 percent this month, the biggest gain since November 2012.

The U.S. economy rebounded more than analysts estimated in the second quarter, growing by an annualized 4 percent. An official gauge of China’s factory output due tomorrow is forecast to show the highest reading this year at 51.4, up from 51 in June. A separate measure from HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics is expected to come in at 52. Numbers above 50 indicate expansion.

“There’s no doubt that sentiment in the metals space is improving,” said Gavin Wendt, founder and senior resource analyst at Sydney-based Mine Life Pty. “The only issue is ensuring that markets don’t get too carried away in the near-term, which means that we will see short-term corrections in price.”

Aluminum, used in everything from aircraft to beer cans, entered a bull market last week. Global demand will exceed supply by 579,000 tons this year, swinging into a deficit after sevens years of surplus, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. said in a report on July 23.

Copper in London fell 0.2 percent to $7,113.50 a ton. The metal is up 1.4 percent this month, a third monthly increase. In New York, futures for September dropped 0.3 percent to $3.2335 a pound, while copper for the same month on the Shanghai Futures Exchange climbed 0.5 percent to 50,560 yuan ($8,190) a ton.

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