Key Facts
- The copper tracker closed at US$40.23, up 1.44% on Friday, and 2.68% for the week that ended 18 September.
- Southern Copper slipped 0.21% to US$195.70, while Freeport-McMoRan rose 0.97% to US$71.54 in New York.
- The copper miners fund closed at US$87.28, up 0.77% on the day, and down 1.41% across the week.
- Grupo México fell 2.38% to 210.72 pesos (about US$12.23) on a day when Mexico’s IPC lost 0.78%.
- Chile’s market was closed on Friday 18 September for Fiestas Patrias, so there was no local session to price the week’s copper gain.
- The dollar index closed at 100.215, down 0.03% on the day and up 1.10% across the week.
Today’s Focus
Copper rose on Friday, and the week’s gain was 2.68%. The tracker closed at US$40.23, up 1.44% on the day and 2.68% across the five sessions.
Southern Copper slipped 0.21% to US$195.70, while Freeport-McMoRan added 0.97% to US$71.54. The copper miners fund closed at US$87.28, up 0.77% on the day and down 1.41% for the week.
Chile’s market was closed on Friday 18 September for Fiestas Patrias. There was no local session to price the week’s copper gain.
The dollar index closed at 100.215, down 0.03% on the day and up 1.10% for the week. Chinese physical demand recovered, according to Shanghai Metals Market.
Grupo México fell 2.38% to 210.72 pesos (about US$12.23) on Friday and lost 3.47% over the week. Mexico’s IPC closed at 63,375.93, down 0.78%.
What matters today. The copper tracker gained 2.68% for the week while the copper miners fund lost 1.41%. Chile’s market was closed on Friday 18 September for Fiestas Patrias.
| Instrument | Level | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Ibovespa (Brazil) | 185,229.17 | -0.41% |
| S&P 500 (US) | 7,650.50 | +0.17% |
| Nasdaq Composite (US) | 26,523 | +0.39% |
| VIX (US volatility) | 14.81 | -4.08% |
| USD/BRL | 5.1445 | +0.30% |
| Gold (per ounce) | US$4,380.01 | +0.77% |
| Silver (per ounce) | US$66.35 | +1.41% |
| Oil fund (USO) | US$153.82 | -0.96% |
Friday, 18 September 2026 close. Gold, silver and the oil fund in US dollars.
01 The session in one read
Copper gained on Friday, and the weekly gain was 2.68%. The tracker closed at US$40.23, up 1.44% on the day and 2.68% across the five sessions.
Southern Copper slipped 0.21% to US$195.70 on Friday. The copper miners fund fell 1.41% over the week despite a 0.77% Friday gain.
The tracker sits above its fifty-day average of US$39.42 and its two-hundred-day average of US$37.08. Its fourteen-day relative strength index reads 53.3.
The metal and the equity fund ended the week apart. That gap is the week’s central fact.
02 The board
| Instrument | Level | Session | Week | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Copper tracker (CPER) | US$40.23 | +1.44% | +2.68% | Metal gained on the day and week |
| Copper miners fund (COPX) | US$87.28 | +0.77% | -1.41% | Equities lagged the metal |
| Southern Copper (SCCO) | US$195.70 | -0.21% | +1.14% | Flat day, positive week |
| Freeport-McMoRan (FCX) | US$71.54 | +0.97% | +0.66% | Positive on both measures |
| Teck Resources (TECK) | US$65.52 | +0.46% | -1.38% | Up on the day, down on the week |
| Grupo México (GMEXICOB) | 210.72 pesos (about US$12.23) | -2.38% | -3.47% | Fell with the Mexican market |
| Dollar index | 100.215 | -0.03% | +1.10% | Flat on the day, firmer on the week |
The table splits between the metal and the miners. Copper rose on the day and over the week; the copper miners fund fell across the five sessions.
Grupo México fell 2.38% in Mexico City on a day when the IPC lost 0.78%. It also lost 3.47% across the week.
Live Market IntelligenceChile — Live Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Chile — Live Market Board
+0.34%
172,350.73
+0.60%
71,811.20
-0.27%
10,660.94
+0.34%
2,848,945
—
2,425.16
-1.13%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPSA | 10,660.94 | +0.34% | — | 10,625.27 | 10,699 | 10,624 | — |
| USD/CLP | 994.16 | -0.13% | +6.95% | 995.48 | 1,002 | 993.78 | — |
| COPPER | 6.07 | -1.75% | +19.39% | 6.18 | 6.24 | 6.07 | 51,916 |
| SQM-B | 53,550 | -1.02% | +8.51% | 54,100 | 55,255 | 53,123 | 217,159 |
| COPEC | 6,275 | -0.08% | -8.26% | 6,280 | 6,366 | 6,250 | 1,086,410 |
| BSANTANDER | 80.50 | +0.56% | +18.35% | 80.05 | 80.60 | 79.77 | 63,171,220 |
| FALABELLA | 6,800 | +1.87% | +11.82% | 6,675 | 6,800 | 6,675 | 1,991,224 |
| ENELAM | 81.00 | -0.74% | -9.80% | 81.60 | 81.70 | 80.20 | 12,953,503 |
| CENCOSUD | 1,849 | +4.10% | -36.02% | 1,776 | 1,849 | 1,770 | 3,430,102 |
| CMPC | 890.00 | -1.11% | -34.32% | 900.00 | 900.01 | 890.00 | 2,896,869 |
| BANCO CHILE | 195.00 | +1.02% | +14.71% | 193.03 | 195.00 | 193.01 | 40,092,446 |
| LATAM AIR | 23.68 | -1.37% | +12.65% | 24.01 | 24.10 | 23.55 | 587,861,487 |
| SOUTHERN COPPER | 163.67 | -2.70% | +29.03% | 168.21 | 167.68 | 162.58 | 533,505 |
03 What moved it
Chinese physical demand recovered, according to Shanghai Metals Market. Yangshan copper import premiums rose to near a four-year high, according to the same report.
Three-month London copper rose US$259, or 1.82%, to US$14,491.5 a tonne. That was the 17:00 London close on Thursday 17 September, according to Shanghai Metals Market.
The contract traded overnight between US$14,378 and US$14,513 a tonne. It closed that overnight session at US$14,464, up 1.50%.
Westmetall reports an official London cash settlement of US$14,400.50 a tonne on 17 September. Trading Economics put copper at US$6.60 a pound on 18 September.
The dollar index closed at 100.215, down 0.03% on the day and up 1.10% for the week. Currency was not the driver of Friday’s move.
04 The Latin American read
Chile’s market was closed on Friday 18 September for Fiestas Patrias. There was no local session to price the week’s copper gain.
The dollar traded offshore at 958.97 Chilean pesos, down 0.31% on the day and up 1.75% for the week. Santiago had no local session to price that move.
Codelco’s July output fell 5% from a year earlier to 112,800 tonnes, according to Cochilco data reported by Mining Weekly. That is the most recent production figure available.
Peru’s sol firmed 0.09% against the dollar, to 3.374 soles. Southern Copper and Buenaventura give Lima two listed ways to hold the metal.
Mexico’s IPC closed at 63,375.93, down 0.78%. RT’s end-of-day feed shows 63,706.89, a snapshot taken before the close.
Grupo México fell 2.38% to 210.72 pesos (about US$12.23) and lost 3.47% over the week. The dollar closed at 17.221 Mexican pesos, up 0.31% on the day.
05 The names to watch
Southern Copper slipped 0.21% to US$195.70 on Friday but still gained 1.14% for the week. Freeport-McMoRan rose 0.97% to US$71.54 and added 0.66% across the week.
Teck Resources closed at US$65.52, up 0.46% on the day and down 1.38% for the week. It trades in New York and Toronto.
Vale closed at US$14.21, down 1.80% on the day and 6.70% for the week. BHP slipped 0.34% to US$86.27 and Rio Tinto fell 0.68% to US$97.37.
Nexa Resources closed at US$13.01, up 0.70% on the day and down 2.25% for the week. Buenaventura fell 1.09% to US$34.33 and gained 0.85% over the week.
Antofagasta plc does not appear in the end-of-day series used here. Its Chilean operations remain the purest listed exposure to the country’s copper belt.
06 The outlook
Santiago reopens on Monday 21 September after Fiestas Patrias. Friday’s copper gain and the offshore peso move will be priced in Santiago in a single session.
China’s loan prime rates are due on Monday 21 September. The one-year consensus is 3% and the five-year 3.5%, both unchanged, according to the RT calendar.
Flash purchasing managers’ surveys land on Wednesday 23 September. The United States composite consensus is 55.2 against 56 prior, and the euro area 51.7 against 52.
Chile’s central bank publishes its monetary policy minutes on Thursday 24 September. Producer prices the same day carry a consensus of 21% year on year against 20.5% prior.
The CFTC reports copper speculative net positions on Friday 25 September. The prior reading was 75.1 thousand contracts.
China’s Mid-Autumn Festival holiday falls on Friday 25 September. Physical buying from Chinese fabricators may pause around that date.
07 What to watch
- Yangshan import premiums: Near a four-year high, according to Shanghai Metals Market.
- Miners against the metal: The copper miners fund fell 1.41% for the week while the tracker gained 2.68%.
- Grupo México: It fell 2.38% on Friday while Southern Copper slipped 0.21%.
- Codelco’s output trend: July production fell 5% from a year earlier to 112,800 tonnes.
- The dollar index: It closed at 100.215, down 0.03% on the day and up 1.10% for the week.
- The Chilean peso: The dollar traded offshore at 958.97 Chilean pesos, down 0.31% on the day and up 1.75% for the week.
More: Latin America news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did copper rise on 18 September 2026?
The CPER tracker closed at US$40.23, up 1.44% on the day and 2.68% for the week.
Why did the copper miners fund fall over the week?
The COPX fund closed at US$87.28, up 0.77% on Friday and down 1.41% for the week.
Which copper shares moved most on Friday?
Freeport-McMoRan rose 0.97% to US$71.54 and Teck Resources added 0.46% to US$65.52. Southern Copper slipped 0.21% to US$195.70.
Why was Chile’s market closed?
The Bolsa de Santiago was shut on Friday 18 September for Fiestas Patrias.
How did Grupo México perform?
It fell 2.38% to 210.72 pesos (about US$12.23) on Friday and lost 3.47% over the week.
What drove copper higher this week?
Chinese physical demand recovered and Yangshan import premiums rose to near a four-year high, according to Shanghai Metals Market. The dollar index rose 1.10% over the week.
Sources: RT end-of-day series for CPER, COPX, SCCO, FCX, TECK, GMEXICOB, the dollar index and Latin American currencies; Shanghai Metals Market for Yangshan import premiums, Chinese physical demand and the London overnight session; Westmetall for the official London cash settlement; Trading Economics for the 18 September reference price; Mining Weekly for Cochilco’s July Codelco output data; BMV and Investing.com for the official IPC close.
In depth
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error
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