The base metals were mixed on Wednesday. Copper bottomed in the pre-dawn hours, then was up through most of the day, finishing at $3.9472/lb., up almost 2¼ cents.

The base metals were all in the red on Tuesday. Copper held up until New York opened, then dipped sharply and never regained the lost ground, finishing at $3.9253/lb., down 4¼ cents.

The base metals were mixed on Monday. Copper came off its pre-dawn lows to move mostly upward and, though it couldn’t dent the $4 mark, finished with a modest gain at $3.9678/lb., up 2 2/3 cents from Friday.

The base metals were nearly all in the red on Thursday. Copper traded beyond $3.98 in the pre-dawn hours but it was downhill from there during the trading day with each push higher knocked down into a finish at $3.9162/lb., down more than 2 cents.

The base metals were primarily in the red on Wednesday.

The base metals were mixed on Friday. Copper pushed above the $4 level in the pre-dawn hours, but once again was unable to hold there, as it fell sharply through the first hour of the New York session, but then came off its lows to finish at $3.9512/lb., down less than 2 cents.

The base metals were nearly all in the red on Thursday. Copper just can’t seem to hold the $4 level, as it shot to $4.10 in the pre-dawn hours but fell steadily from there, finishing just off its intraday low at $3.9701/lb., down 3 2/3 cents.

The base metals were all solidly in positive territory on Wednesday. Copper took off in the pre-dawn hours, and gained straight through the day, only coming off its intraday high late in the morning to finish at $4.0065/lb., up 9 1/3 cents.

Q: Even if the U.S. should go into an extended recession and dampen the global markets as well, won’t the emerging markets’ need for oil and other material commodities continue to boost demand and prices? – L.H.