(Adds comment, detail, updates prices)
By Melanie Burton
MELBOURNE, Aug 31 (Reuters) - London copper led industrial
metals higher in Asia on Thursday, setting the scene for a third
monthly gain in a row after healthy growth at China's factories
in August fed expectations of stronger metals demand.
Growth in China's manufacturing sector unexpectedly
accelerated in August, suggesting the world's second-largest
economy is still expanding at a healthy clip despite rising
financing costs and a cooling housing market. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nZZN033N8E
"Overall, our reading of PMI is that China's underlying
economy development is resilient. Supply side reform and
government policy supports to private enterprises are having a
positive impact on overall economy," said broker Argonaut
Securities of Hong Kong in a report.
"We think this positive development in China's economy is a
tailwind for commodity demand, which should not be
underestimated any more."
FUNDAMENTALS
* LME COPPER: Three-month copper on the London Metal
Exchange CMCU3 rose 0.6 percent to $6,808.50 a tonne by 0505
GMT, reversing small losses from the previous session. Copper
earlier this week struck its highest since Sept 2014 at
$6,843.50 and was set to log gains of near 7 percent for August,
a third monthly advance.
* SHFE COPPER: Shanghai Futures Exchange copper SCFcv1
reversed early losses to trade up 0.2 percent at 52,840 yuan
($8,009) a tonne.
* CHINA WEALTH: As regulatory crackdowns in China hit risky
investment products and capital outflows, the country's private
banks are looking to profit as they target a bigger share of
growing wealth in the world's second-largest economy.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N1LA559
* U.S. ECONOMY: The U.S. economy grew faster than initially
thought in the second quarter, notching its quickest pace in
more than two years, and there are signs that the momentum was
sustained at the start of the third quarter. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1LG0WU
* GLENCORE COPPER: Zambian electricity utility Copperbelt
Energy Corporation (CEC) and Glencore's GLEN.L Mopani Copper
Mines have reached an agreement to restore full power supply to
the mine from Wednesday, the president's office said on
Wednesday.
* For the top stories in metals and other news, click
TOP/MTL or MET/L
MARKETS NEWS
* Investors rediscovered a taste for the dollar and Asian
shares on Thursday as upbeat Chinese and U.S. economic news
whetted appetite for riskier assets globally, even as tensions
over North Korea simmered in the background. MKTS/GLOB
PRICES
Three month LME copper CMCU3
Most active ShFE copper SCFcv1
Three month LME aluminium CMAL3
Most active ShFE aluminium SAFcv1
Three month LME zinc CMZN3
Most active ShFE zinc SZNcv1
Three month LME lead CMPB3
Most active ShFE lead SPBcv1
Three month LME nickel CMNI3
Most active ShFE nickel SNIcv1
Three month LME tin CMSN3
Most active ShFE tin SSNcv1
ARBS
LMESHFCUc3
LMESHFALc3
LMESHFZNc3
LMESHFPBc3
LMESHFNIc3
($1 = 6.5977 Chinese yuan renminbi)
($1 = 6.5972 Chinese yuan renminbi)
<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS http://tmsnrt.rs/2lvmIzW
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and
Richard Pullin)
((melanie.burton@thomsonreuters.com Twitter: @MelanieMetals;
+613 9286 1421; Reuters Messaging:
melanie.burton.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
(( For related news and prices, click on the codes in brackets:
LME price overview RING= COMEX copper futures 0#HG:
Base metals news MET All metals news MTL
All commodities news C Metals diary MTL/DIARY
Foreign exchange rates FX=S SPEED GUIDES COMMODS LME/INDEX ))
Keywords: GLOBAL METALS/