Natural rubber futures mixed amid higher trading volumes

Tokyo – Natural rubber (NR) futures ended the final trading week of January mixed, with overall prices remaining “firm”, according to the Japan Exchange Group (JPX).

In Osaka, the OSE June contract closed 5.0% lower week-on-week in active trading, driven by profit-taking and fresh selling following a strong recent rally.

Over the week ended 30 Jan, “profit-taking by Chinese fund managers and short covering led to a sharp increase in trading volume,” JPX said in a 2 Feb market update.

Both Shanghai-based SHFE and INE contracts closed the week higher by 2.7% and 3.2%, respectively, while open interest on both markets fell sharply amid “month-end position adjustments,” it added.

In Singapore, SICOM’s active April contract ended the week up 1.5%, supported by fresh buying interest.

Overall, JPX said rubber prices “remained firm”, supported by the recent rally in broader commodity markets, including copper and crude oil.