Copper
“Dr. Copper” — said to have a PhD in economics because its price reads global growth.
Previous close $6.5075/lb
Chart — coming soon
1-month, 3-month, 1-year sparklines land in the next update — along with 52-week high / low stats and YTD performance.
The 30-second take
Copper is in everything — construction wire, EVs, data centres, grid build-out. So its price is a leading indicator of industrial activity, especially in China (the world's largest consumer). Rising copper usually signals a cyclical rotation or a supply story. In interviews, mention copper when discussing: (1) industrial M&A, (2) the energy-transition theme, (3) China macro. The Chile/Peru supply concentration is another classic talking point.
Historical reference points
Bankers instinctively contextualise today's level against these moments. Each row shows how far the current level is above / below that reference.
- GFC lowDec 2008$1.26/lb+419.39%
- 2011 peakFeb 2011$4.62/lb+41.65%
- COVID crash lowMar 2020$2.08/lb+214.63%
- 2022 post-invasion peakMar 2022$5.01/lb+30.62%
Compare against
Master the whole framework
The live numbers are one leg. Read the lesson for the four things to always know, plus the full interview script.
Discussing Markets — read the lesson →