* Japanese rubber futures climbed to an almost one-month
high on
Wednesday, helped by stronger crude prices and tighter
inventories amid wintering, although demand concerns lingered.
* The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for September
delivery was up 3.5 yen, or 1.6%, to 214.5 yen ($1.60)
per kg as of 0202 GMT, its highest since Mar. 15.
* The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange
(SHFE) for
September delivery was up 90 yuan, or 0.8%, to 11,990
yuan ($1,742.96) per tonne.
* Rubber inventories in warehouses monitored by the Shanghai
Futures Exchange fell 0.4 % from a week earlier, the exchange
said last Friday.
* Japan's benchmark Nikkei average opened down
0.14%.
* Big Japanese manufacturers remained pessimistic in April
for a
fourth straight month as jitters over Western banks added to
slowing global growth, dimming prospects for an export-led
recovery.
* Still, China's industrial output in March rose
3.9% year
on year, albeit slightly below expectations, and its economy
grew 4.5% year-on-year in the first quarter, official data
showed on Tuesday.
* Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Wednesday as U.S.
crude
inventories were seen falling and on strong Chinese economic
data, signalling strengthening fuel demand.
* Higher oil prices incentivise manufacturers to shift away
from
synthetic rubber derived from oil, spurring the natural rubber
market.
* Stocks slipped on Wednesday, while the dollar was under a
little
pressure, as traders shifted focus from U.S. banking stress to
expectations of an imminent peak in interest rates.
* The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's
SICOM
platform for May delivery last traded at 138.8 U.S.
cents per kg, up 1.2%.
($1 = 134.2800 yen)
($1 = 6.8791 yuan)
(Reporting by Carman Chew; Editing by Sonia Cheema)
SINGAPORE, April 19 (Reuters) -
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.