China's demand for metals to gain in H1

Metals consumption in China, the world's biggest user, is expected to climb in the second half on easier availability of credit and rising investment and seasonal demand, according to China International Capital Corp.

Home appliance and vehicle sales, especially truck sales, should improve in the fourth quarter, while the weak property market may continue to face "headwinds," said analysts James Luke, Janet Kong and Liu Zheng, in a report on Wednesday. CICC is the nation's largest investment bank.

People's Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said on Wednesday that adjustments to interest rates and banks' reserve requirements are still possible after the central bank stepped up temporary cash injections this month.

The Conference Board's Leading Economic Index for the world's second-largest economy rose in July after a little-changed June reading, signaling that the nation's economy may be stabilizing. Aluminum, zinc, and nickel producers in China have cut output in response to falling prices and higher costs.

China Daily - Agencies