Copper
Copper is the third most consumed industrial metal, used in a range of manufacturing products and everyday items. Its low price point compared to silver and gold also make it an attractive metal to trade online. This copper trading tutorial covers live charts, market economics, and strategy tips. Our team have also ranked the top copper brokers:
Best Copper Brokers UK
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Founded in Australia in 2010, Pepperstone is a highly regarded broker specialising in forex and CFDs. Serving more than 400,000 clients globally, it provides access to over 1,300 financial instruments through popular platforms like MT4, MT5, cTrader, and TradingView. Its fee structure is both low and transparent. With regulation by reputable bodies such as the FCA, ASIC, and CySEC, Pepperstone guarantees a safe trading environment for traders at every level.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Currency Indices, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Crypto (only Pro clients), Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, CMA, BaFin, SCB MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
Established in Poland in 2002, XTB caters to over a million clients worldwide. This forex and CFD broker offers a robust regulatory framework, a diverse range of assets, and prioritises trader satisfaction. It provides an intuitive proprietary platform equipped with excellent tools to support aspiring traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs on shares, Indices, ETFs, Raw Materials, Forex currencies, cryptocurrencies, Real shares, Real ETFs FCA, CySEC, KNF, DFSA, FSC, SCA, Bappebti xStation Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 -
Founded in 1989, CMC Markets is a reputable broker publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange. It holds authorisation from top-tier regulators such as the FCA, ASIC, and CIRO. The brokerage, which has received multiple awards, boasts a global membership exceeding one million traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Treasuries, Custom Indices, Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, MAS, CIRO, BaFin, FMA, DFSA Web, MT4, TradingView Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
Founded in 2006, FxPro has built a reputation as a reliable non-dealing desk (NDD) broker, providing trading access across more than 2,100 markets to over 2 million clients globally. It has received over 100 industry awards, reflecting its favourable conditions for active traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Spread Betting FCA, CySEC, FSCA, SCB, FSA FxPro Edge, MT4, MT5, cTrader, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, DupliTrade, Quantower Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $100 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:500 (Pro) -
Founded in 1974, IG is a part of IG Group Holdings Plc, a publicly listed brokerage (LSE: IGG). The company provides spread betting, CFD, and forex trading, offering access to over 17,000 markets. Its platforms and investing apps are notably user-friendly. Over the past 50 years, IG has consistently been an industry leader, excelling in all essential areas for traders.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, ETFs, Futures, Options, Crypto, Spread Betting FCA, ASIC, NFA, CFTC, DFSA, BaFin, MAS, FSCA, FINMA, CONSOB, AFM Web, ProRealTime, L2 Dealer, MT4, TradingView, AutoChartist, TradingCentral, ProRealTime Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:30 (Retail), 1:222 (Pro) -
Fusion Markets, an online broker since 2017, operates under the regulation of ASIC, VFSC, and FSA. Renowned for offering cost-effective forex and CFD trading, it provides various account options and copy trading solutions to suit diverse trading needs. New clients can begin trading with a simple three-step registration process.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto ASIC, VFSC, FSA MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, DupliTrade Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:500 -
eToro is a leading multi-asset platform, providing trading services in a vast array of CFDs, equities, and cryptocurrencies. Since its establishment in 2007, eToro has attracted millions of traders worldwide and holds licences from top regulators like the FCA and CySEC. Its social trading platform is especially favoured. Investing in cryptoassets is highly volatile and unregulated in the UK and certain EU nations, with no consumer protection. Tax obligations on profits may apply. 51% of retail CFD accounts incur losses.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, ETFs, Smart Portfolios, Commodities, Futures, Crypto, NFTs FCA, ASIC, CySEC, FSA, FSRA, MFSA, CNMV, AMF eToro Web, CopyTrader, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $50 $10 1:30 -
Trade Nation is a leading FX and CFD broker regulated in the UK and Australia, among other places. The company provides competitively priced fixed and variable spreads on over 1,000 assets. Traders benefit from advanced platforms and comprehensive training materials. Additionally, the Signal Centre offers valuable trade ideas.
Instruments Regulator Platforms Forex, CFDs, Indices, Shares, Commodities, Futures, Bonds, Spread Betting, Cryptos (Bahamas Entity Only) FCA, ASIC, FSCA, SCB, FSA MT4 Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.1 Lots 1:500 (entity dependent) -
BlackBull, a New Zealand-based CFD broker, offers a wide range of trading options across more than 26,000 instruments. Following a 2023 rebrand, it boasts a contemporary design and provides advanced trading tools along with ultra-fast execution speeds, averaging 20ms.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Futures, Crypto FMA, FSA BlackBull Invest, BlackBull CopyTrader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, TradingView, AutoChartist Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $0 0.01 Lots 1:500 -
Founded in 2001, easyMarkets has earned a reputation as a reliable fixed spread broker. With continuous advancements, it distinguishes itself in the market. The firm has integrated the MetaTrader suite and TradingView, and enhanced unique risk management tools such as dealCancellation.
Instruments Regulator Platforms CFDs, Forex, Stocks, Indices, Commodities, Crypto CySEC, ASIC, FSCA, FSC, FSA easyMarkets App, Web Platform, MT4, MT5, TradingView, TradingCentral Min. Deposit Min. Trade Leverage $25 0.01 lots 1:2000
Copper Trading Basics
Copper was the first metal used by humans thousands of years ago. Today, its use cases span building construction, electric generators, wiring in cars, appliances, and computers, plus jewellery like belt buckles. As the best non-precious metal conductor of electricity, the global telecommunication network depends heavily on the soft metal.
The global copper market was valued at $291 billion in 2021, with forecasts that it will grow to $447 billion by 2030. The largest market share is held by the Asia-Pacific region with around 67%. This is driven predominantly by consumption in China.
The largest copper companies in the world include Glencore, BHP Biliton and LS-Nikko Co. Having said this, the largest copper mining company by production is Codelco, a Chilean-owned firm. The company produced around 1.7 million metric tonnes of the commodity in 2021.
Importantly for traders, a copper deficit may be a prominent issue across global markets throughout 2025 and beyond, fuelled by challenging supply issues in South America alongside increased demand. Chile produces the most copper in the world, accounting for 27% of the global supply. However, it reported a 7% decrease in volumes for 2022. This, alongside protests and political unrest in Peru (another major producer), has resulted in further declines in supply.
Price Chart
Note, the trading symbol for copper may vary between online brokers.
What Influences The Price Of Copper?
Economic Health
The copper trading price is largely influenced by the health of the global economy due to its use in nearly all sectors, including construction, electronics, heating, and electricity. Some even refer to the commodity as ‘Dr Copper’. If the economy experiences growth, the price of copper typically rises due to increased demand.
Given the large demand for copper in China, the price of the commodity is particularly linked to the country’s economy. For example, prices saw an uptick in early 2023 as China came out of tough lockdown measures following the COVID-19 pandemic, though this subsided somewhat as fear in the banking sector spread to other asset classes.
Supply & Demand
Any changes in production volumes can have a significant impact on the availability of copper and therefore market prices. This includes any political and environmental issues in copper-producing regions.
For example, there was a spike in the price of the commodity following the 2015 earthquake in Chile, the world’s largest supplier. More recently, Peru has been rocked with political and civil unrest leading to Glencore, one of the largest global natural resource companies, suspending its mining operations in a key location in January 2023.
China
Changes in key markets will have a strong influence on the lb copper price. Again, Chinese demand will continue to play a pivotal role in the price of copper.
The country is undertaking several initiatives, which are likely to increase their demand for the metal. This includes upgrading to higher efficiency vehicles, green manufacturing activities, and the concept of ‘smart factories’.
How To Trade Copper
The best copper trading brokers offer several investing vehicles:
CFDs
One of the most popular ways to trade copper is via CFDs. Contracts for difference are an agreement between two parties (trader and broker) to exchange the price difference of copper between the entry and exit points. CFDs allow retail investors to try and profit from both upward or downward price movements.
Margin trading can also be used to amplify position sizes. Admiral Markets, for example, offers copper CFDs with leverage of 1:10, meaning you can borrow 10x more than you put down.
Note that when trading CFDs, you do not own the underlying asset, in this case, copper. Margin requirements may also vary between platforms.
Stocks
Another way to gain exposure to copper trading is by purchasing stocks in companies involved in the industry.
This could include organisations involved in the production and exploration of the metal such as Southern Copper Corp and Taseko Mines Ltd. Alternatively, Antofagasta is the UK’s largest copper mining company which trades on the FTSE 100.
Futures
Investors can trade copper futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), the London Metal Exchange (LME), and the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX). With this type of contract, you speculate on the price of the commodity at a set date and time in the future.
The London Metal Exchange, for example, offers trading on Copper A Grade futures with prices quoted in dollars per tonne with sizes of 25 tonnes.
ETFs
An ETF is another investment product offered by online brokers. Exchange-traded funds are typically structured to mirror a specific market segment. You can directly trade funds that contain metal-producing companies or gain exposure to copper alongside a basket of other assets, including additional metals.
Popular ETFs include the iPath Bloomberg Copper Subindex Total and the United States Copper Index Fund (CPER).
Spot Market
Spot trading copper involves purchasing or selling the commodity at the current market price.
Also sometimes available with leverage, IG Index for instance, offers copper spot trading with a minimum size of 0.25 and leverage up to 1:10.
Comparing Copper Trading Brokers
Consider the following factors when doing a comparison of the best copper brokers:
Assets & Vehicles
How can you trade copper? Does the broker offer CFDs, futures, spread bets, plus suitable stocks and ETFs? Also consider access to other assets so you can build a diverse trading portfolio, such as cryptos.
Interactive Brokers, for example, offer copper futures on the London Metal Exchange alongside OTC contracts on aluminium, lead, tin, nickel, and zinc. The platform also offers thousands of stocks and forex instruments.
Fees
Tight spreads and no/low commission copper trading brokers should rank highly. Also check for any non-trading costs, such as deposit/withdrawal charges and account maintenance fees.
CMC Markets, for example, offers copper trading with a 0.2 minimum spread, no minimum deposit, and zero deposit fees. The minimum order size is 200.
Resources
The best copper trading brokers will offer expert analysis. XTB, for example, offers regular market reports and insights on copper trading economics and fundamentals.
Also look for educational content and materials that cover investing basics and popular trading strategies. Many leading firms also offer copy trading tools, allowing users to mirror the trades of other investors.
XTB Market News – Copper Prices
Trading Platform
Brokers that offer copper trading may provide a range of platform options, including proprietary terminals, mobile apps, and third-party tools like TradingView. Look for custom copper trading charts and graphs, price history, signals, alerts, watchlists, and news streams.
Tip: a demo account is a good way to test a broker’s platform and app before investing money.
Regulation
Leading copper trading brokers in the UK will be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The regulator requires that client funds are held separately from business money and that negative balance protection is provided for retail traders, amongst other safety features.
IG Index, for example, is authorised by the FCA and offers various copper instruments, including futures and ETFs.
Trading Hours
Copper trading hours will depend on the opening times of the metal exchange and online brokerage.
The London Metal Exchange is open Monday to Friday from 01:00 to 19:00 GMT. There is no pre-market trading or after-hours trading, and there is no closure for lunch. XTB offers copper CFDs from 08:30 to 19:30 GMT.
Bottom Line On Trading Copper
Copper is the third-most used industrial metal. Its application spreads across almost every sector and its value is affected by multiple factors, including global economic health, demand and supply in producing regions, plus large quantity consuming countries like China. The variety of vehicles also means investors can adopt both short and long-term copper trading strategies.
To start trading online, see our list of the best copper brokers and platforms.
FAQ
How Can I Invest In Copper?
There are several ways to invest in copper including via futures, contracts for difference (CFDs), exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and stocks of companies involved in the mining/production, distribution and use of the soft metal. The best copper trading brokers offer a choice of vehicles and services to suit different trading timeframes and strategies.
What Are The Major Copper Trading Markets?
The main copper trading markets are the London Metal Exchange (LME), the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), and the Multi-Commodity Exchange (MCX).
The largest miners and producers of copper include Chile, Peru, Congo, China and the US. The largest consumers of the soft metal are China, the US and Europe.
What Are The Best Copper Stocks?
Popular copper stocks include Lundin Mining Corp (Canadian), Glencore (Swiss), BHP Biliton (Australian) and LS-Nikko Co (South Korean). These companies are all major players in the mining, production and distribution of copper. Many of these firms also have operations in other metals.
What Are The LME Copper Trading Hours?
The London Metal Exchange (LME) opening times are Monday to Friday from 01:00 to 19:00 GMT. Note, copper brokers and platforms may set their own trading times. IG Index, for instance, offers online copper trading Monday to Friday from 02:02 to 18:59 GMT.
Is Copper Worth Buying?
Copper has several characteristics that make it popular with an intraday trading strategy and longer-term investing approach. Firstly, commodities like copper are often seen as a ‘safe bet’ during times of economic uncertainty and market turbulence. Copper tends to maintain its value due to the relative stability of supply and demand.
The value of copper also tends to follow the global economy due to its applications in almost all sectors. It is also playing a key role in renewable technology and the move away from fossil fuels, which helped drive up prices in 2023. Similarly, if the construction industry or housing market is booming, the price of copper tends to rise.
Which Is The Best Copper Trading Broker?
There are several top-rated copper trading brokers in the UK, including Pepperstone, XTB and CMC Markets. These platforms are all FCA-regulated, offer tight spreads and/or low commissions, plus leverage up to 1:10 on copper. Alternatively, see our full list of copper trading brokers.