Copper outlook uncertain

Article Excerpt

GLOBAL X COPPER MINERS ETF $17.31 (New York symbol COPX; buy or sell through brokers; www.globalxfunds.com) tracks the Solactive Global Copper Miners Index, which includes 20 to 40 international companies that mine, refine and explore for copper. Germany-based Structured Solutions AG created the index in April 2010. Canadian firms make up 46.2% of the ETF’s holdings. They also include companies based in Australia (9.6%), India (6.0%), and Mexico (4.3%) and the U.S. (4.1%). The fund’s MER is 0.65%. Its top holdings are: Teck Resources at 8.9%; First Quantum Minerals, 6.2%; Vedanta Resources plc, 6.0%; Glencore plc, 5.2%; Lundin Mining, 5.0%; Hudbay Minerals, 5.0%; KAZ Minerals PLC, 4.9%; Oz Minerals, 4.7%; Turquoise Hill Resources, 4.6%; and KGHM Polska Miedz, 4.4%. Copper prices have fallen from over $4.50 U.S. a pound at the start of 2011 to just $2.22 today. Over the long term, improving global economies and uncertain supply should push copper higher. In the near term, though, the metal’s outlook is uncertain. Global X..