Copper rises

Melbourne : London copper climbed in thin trade and was on track for its strongest weekly gain in more than a year, backed by resilient global manufacturing growth and a persistently weak dollar.

London Metal Exchange copper had risen by 0.5 percent to $7,214 a tonne by 0715 GMT, after small gains in the previous session. Prices were on track for a 6.8-percent weekly rise, the biggest such rally since November, 2016. Prices hit four-year highs at $7,312.50 a tonne in late January.

Turnover was extremely light with a less than 3000 lots among the major benchmark contracts amid a week-long holiday in top metals user China.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange was closed for a second day and will reopen on Thursday, Feb. 22. Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam were also closed on Friday for a public holiday. Gold was set for its biggest weekly gain in nearly two years.