The base metals did little more than tread water on Tuesday. Copper sank from the pre-dawn hours to mid-morning, but then rallied strongly to the noon hour, but faded again from there, finishing at $1.611/lb., up a tenth of a cent. Nickel crested at $4.70, also around the noon hour, then gave back most of the day’s gains, closing at $4.607/lb., up less than a half-cent.

The base metals were all stuck in red mud on Monday. Copper fell during the pre-dawn hours and rallied back into the afternoon, but not enough to erase the losses, finishing at $1.61/lb., down 6 cents from Friday. Except for a modest morning rally, nickel was down straight through the day, closing at its intraday low of $4.6025/lb., down 26½ cents.

The base metals all had a rare close in positive territory on Thursday. Copper bottomed during the pre-dawn hours, then forged a not unbroken but steadily higher trail through the day, finishing at its intraday high of $1.6223/lb., up 3½ cents.

The base metals were mixed on Wednesday. Copper traded within a tight 4-cent range through the day, finishing near the lower end at $1.5875/lb., down a penny and a quarter.

The base metals were all deep in the red on Tuesday. Copper had another day of incessant down, with each tiny upblip met with immediate selling, leading to a finish barely off its intraday low at $1.5997/lb., down 10 cents. Nickel followed a similar path, except that it didn’t manage to escape its intraday low, closing right there at $4.6531/lb., down 29 2/3 cents.

The base metals were all mired in the red on Wednesday. Copper sagged from the gitgo and, despite a late morning attempt at a rally, finished at its intraday low of $1.7714/lb., down more than 16¾ cents.

The base metals were all well into positive territory on Tuesday. Copper bottomed just north of $1.75 in the pre-dawn hours, then went near-vertical before leveling off in the late morning to cruise to a finish at $1.9393/lb., up more than 11 cents. Nickel pushed upward for most of the day, regaining the $5 mark and holding to close at its intraday high of $5.40/lb., up 40 cents.

The base metals were mostly lower on Monday. Copper held onto Friday’s close until the late pre-dawn hours, but then was off sharply, bottoming near $1.75 at mid-morning before rallying to a finish at $1.828/lb., down 6½ cents from Friday.

The base metals were mixed on Friday. Copper fell from the pre-dawn hours to the New York open, but rallied from there, regaining much of the lost ground though it failed to break even, finishing at $1.893/lb., down 4 1/3 cents.

The base metals were all off to the races on Wednesday. Copper blasted back over the $2 mark, rising from the pre-dawn hours to past noon before easing a bit and finishing at $2.0678/lb., up 14¾ cents. Nickel followed a similar path, cresting above $6 before pulling back to close at $5.8559/lb., up 61¼ cents.