Copper prices turned slightly higher on Friday, as some bargain-hunters took advantage of the notable losses seen in the prior session.
March copper finished at $3.1435 per pound, up 1.55 cents on the session. Prices earlier reached as high as $3.154.
Copper lost 8 cents per pound in Thursday's session, on a day that saw a sharp sell-off for metal futures.
A stronger dollar limited copper gains as it reduced the appeal of traders using other currencies. The greenback rose to a new three-month high of 1.4260 against the euro before easing back. The dollar also saw some strength amid choppy trading with the pound.
Traders looked ahead to some key housing reports next week. Existing home sales and the Federal Housing Finance Agency house price index are due on Tuesday with the weekly MBA Purchase Applications data coming on Wednesday. Copper traders often closely watch housing data as the industrial metal is most often used in construction.
Gross domestic product data for the third quarter is due on Tuesday.
In other metal trading, February-gold closed at $1,111,50 per ounce, up $4.10 on the session. The metal reached as high as $1,118.10 earlier in the session after falling more than $28 on Thursday.
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