[Huanqiu.com Financial Report] Copper prices have surged in recent months, but Goldman Sachs analysts warn of a potentially sharp decline ahead. Citing Goldman Sachs analysts, Barron's reported that LME copper prices could retreat to $11,000 per tonne by December 2026 as market fundamentals ease.
Bloomberg also reported that copper prices pulled back from their record highs as traders weighed the impact of the rally on demand. Markets took stock of a record-breaking rally that could dent physical demand for key industrial inputs. On January 15, the red metal on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.6%, giving back a portion of its recent gains. Both base metals and precious metals surged sharply in the opening weeks of 2026, driven primarily by heightened investor appetite for tangible assets, including commodities.assets, including commodities.
Prior to this, LME copper futures had climbed intraday to an all-time high of $13,407 per tonne on January 14. On the domestic market, copper futures prices similarly spiked sharply, breaking through the psychologically significant round-number threshold of CNY 100,000 per tonne, with market sentiment continuing to run hot.
Analysts believe the rapid spike in copper prices is the result of a confluence of multiple factors, encompassing structural supply-demand imbalances alongside sentiment-driven premiums and speculative capital flows. On the supply side, South American countries hold 40% of global copper reserves, but copper mining output capacity has been constrained by factors including energy supply tightness. On the demand side, incremental growth has been particularly pronounced, with copper consumption accelerating in emerging sectors such as AI data centers, new energy vehicles (NEVs), and industrial robots — all of which have become key supportive forces underpinning elevated copper prices. (By Wen Hui)