The base metals took another bath in blood on Monday. Copper plunged from the pre-dawn hours to the New York open, rallied back to mid-morning, but then sold off again to finish just off its intraday lows at $2.2643/lb., down 8 cents.

The base metals were all green shoots on Friday. Copper started up in the pre-dawn hours and, except for a late morning downblip, maintained momentum through the day to finish at $2.0741/lb., up 6¼ cents.

The base metals were adrift on a red sea on Thursday. Copper declined steadily from the pre-dawn hours through the noon hour, after which it edged back up over the $2 mark to finish at $2.0121/lb., down 6 2/3 cents.

The base metals were all in positive territory on Thursday. Copper gained from the pre-dawn hours to mid-morning, then held on, to finish just off its intraday highs at $1.8285/lb., up nearly 6 cents.

The base metals were mixed on Wednesday. Copper fell as low as $1.74 in the late pre-dawn hours, perked back up during the New York morning, but faded again late to finish at $1.7695/lb., down three-quarters of a cent.

Chinese regulators rejected Coca-Cola Co.’s (KO) $2.3 billion bid for China Huiyuan Juice Group Ltd., China’s largest juice company.

The base metals were little changed on Friday. Copper bottomed in the late pre-dawn hours, pushed higher from there to mid-morning, then eased into a finish at $1.6449/lb., up 2 1/3 cents.

The Coca-Cola Co. (KO) said Friday that it would invest $2 billion in China over the next three years. That’s 25% more than the $1.6 billion Coke has invested in China during the past 30 years.

The base metals were nearly all in the red on Monday. Copper sagged during the pre-dawn hours, rallied through the morning, but then backed off again late to finish at $1.6233/lb., down nearly 3¾ cents.

With dropping oil prices and the current global attitude on commodities, Horacio Marquez of Money Morning recommends this offshore drilling company as a top performer in its sector.