Supported by Weaker Dollar, Stagnant Stock Market -   

The recovery from the early weakness flies in the face of increased appetite for risk with U.S. equity markets trading higher and a drop in crude oil prices because the military activity did not cause any supply disruptions. The move most likely reflects a reaction to the weaker U.S. Dollar. Gold futures are rebounding from an early session setback on Monday as traders continue to respond to the uncertainty in the financial markets regarding a possible escalation of military activity in Syria between the U.S. and Russia after this week-end’s bombing of suspected chemical factories by a US-led coalition. Over the week-end, the U.S., U.K. and France attacked Syria, targeting military positions and research weapons linked to chemical weapons.

Copper rod producers operate at close to 80% in Mar - 

Operating rates at Chinese copper rod producers jumped to 79.4% in March, up 10.05 percentage points year on year and 31.73 percentage points on the month, as orders improved from the electric wire and cable industry, according to an SMM survey. In April, operating rates are expected to further increase to 80.9% as producers reported brisk orders during the high season. Some large producers said they had already reached full operations in March.

 Zinc gained on short covering after prices dropped after talk that China’s State Reserve Bureau had been selling zinc stockpiles -  

Zinc on MCX settled up 0.3% at 202.7 on short covering after prices dropped after talk that China’s State Reserve Bureau had been selling zinc stockpiles. China’s expected output of refined zinc was 445,900 tons in March, up 3.7% yoy. Imports of refined zinc were 37,700 tons, up 151.3% yoy. A major smog indicator in China's heavy industrial Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region rose by more than a quarter in March, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said, raising concerns that pollution is increasing with the end of winter output restrictions. China is currently working on a new 2018-2020 action plan to tackle pollution, and experts have urged the government to introduce more targeted measures to tackle rising ground-level ozone, which has become a growing urban health threat.

Oil Prices Bumpy After Western Strikes On Syria - 

Oil prices fell on Monday morning in Asia as markets opened the week cautiously following western air strikes in Syria over the weekend.In retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack in Douma on April 7, the U.S., France and Britain launched 105 missiles on Saturday, targeting what they said were three chemical weapons facilities in Syria. Although Syria is not a key oil producer, the wider Middle East is the world’s most important crude exporter and tension in the region tends to trigger concerns that oil supplies will be disrupted. The supply restraint led by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia has supported oil markets considerably.