Dr. Copper’s Diagnosis: A Strong Recovery
July 28, 2010 at 06:00 AM EDT
As stocks have slipped lower over the last three months , copper has bucked the broad trend and broken the pattern of lower highs and lower lows it set in the spring. After bottoming on June 7, the iPath Dow Jones-UBS Copper Subindex Total Return ETN - which closely tracks copper futures - has gained more than 12.2%. In the same span, the Russell 2000 small cap stock index has lost 0.6%. The red metal is nicknamed Dr. Copper for its ability to peer around the corner and act as a leading indicator for the global economy. And right now, the commodity with a Ph.D. in economics seems to be saying the future looks bright. Is the trend set to continue?