Most base metals prices gain

Prices for base metals were mixed but mostly higher Tuesday.

March copper traded even in New York at $2.88 per pound, while three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange added $5 to $6,380 per tonne after dropping to $6,317 per tonne earlier in the session.

The gains for copper came after bad news from the housing market in the US wasn’t quite as bad as had been expected after housing starts in November dropped but not by as much as had been predicted by analysts.

Among other base metals, aluminium added $1 to $2,411 per tonne while zinc was $18 higher to $2,315 per tonne, lead was up $25 to $2,455 per tonne, and nickel gained $200 to $25,900 per tonne.

Tin bucked the trend, dropping $50 to $16,025 per tonne.