Spring season

摘要

As well as being close to each other on the periodic table, copper, nickel and zinc share several traits. Like other commodities such as oil and gold, the prices of all three are soaring again after a crisis-induced collapse (see chart). In an astounding recovery, metals prices have almost doubled over the past year.rnCopper, used for electrical wiring and in construction, has had the most striking ascent. It briefly rose above $8,000 a tonne on April 6th, its highest level since August 2008 (and within shouting distance of its record of nearly $9,000, set in April that year). Nickel, mainly used to make stainless steel, has gained 32% since the start of 2010 and, at around $25,000 a tonne, is close to a two-year high. Zinc, lead, tin and aluminium have also run up smartly over the past year.