Copper and aluminum extended declines, giving back part of this week’s gains, as
hopes for a conditional Israel‑Lebanon ceasefire — potentially a step toward
wider de‑escalation but contingent on Hezbollah standing down — left Middle East
prospects uncertain. Ongoing US efforts led by Trump to negotiate with Iran also
fed volatility. ING analysts said recent price moves remain sensitive to macro
risk and that Middle East uncertainty is a headwind. A technology-sector
pullback added to pressure; copper’s earlier support from AI‑driven demand for
power infrastructure weakened after the S&P 500’s nine‑day streak ended and
Korea’s KOSPI, an AI barometer, slid as much as 2.6% on Thursday.
