(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors - Australia) Copper prices have hit a near one-week high on the back of stronger than expected Chinese trade data.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange has jumped 0.55% to around $8,155 a tonne as exports from China hit a seven month peak.
The nation's exports surpassed the anticipated 4% growth to record a 14.1% increase from a year earlier, while imports jumped 6%.
Copper prices have advanced nearly 3% this year.
This has prompted a few positive moves in copper-focused stocks.
Papua New Guinea-focused explorer Coppermoly (ASX: COY) shares are up 2.6% to $0.04.
The company revealed yesterday it had raised $150,000 to fund working capital and early stages of planned follow-up exploration at its Papua New Guinea tenements.
Recent assays from the Pulding copper and molybdenum prospect at its Makmak tenement have confirmed iron oxide, copper gold (IOCG) type deposit potential with results of up to 2.39% copper and high grade iron ore.
The company compared the mineralisation to IOCG mineralisation mined in Chile and Peru for iron ore and copper.
Meanwhile, fellow explorer Metminco (ASX: MNC) has also made gains today, with its share price adding 1.7% to $0.059.
The company has identified a preferred mining scenario involving an initial open pit followed by underground bulk mining as optimal for its Los Calatos copper project in Peru.
The mining options study now being undertaken is focusing on maintaining an optimal capital expenditure and grade profile which should facilitate more attractive financial returns for the project.
The latest Resource estimate shows copper equivalent metal of 7.7 million tonnes is available for extraction from potential future open pit and underground operations after metallurgical recoveries of 87% for copper and 68% for molybdenum.
Results of the study are expected in the first quarter of this year.
Syndicated Metals' (ASX: SMD) share price has risen 1.8% to $0.056 today.
Prior to the Christmas break the company began the next phase of exploration at its key Mt Isa Copper-Gold Projects in North Queensland.
The exploration program includes follow-up diamond drilling at the recently discovered Yamamilla Copper Prospect, where recent drilling returned notable intersections of up to 4 metres at 4.6% copper and 10 metres at 2% copper.
It also involves an initial program of drilling at the Dronfield Prospect, where a 5 kilometre long soil geochemical anomaly is being targeted.
Among the producers, PanAust (ASX: PNA) added 2.53% today to hit $3.44.
PanAust's key producing assets are the flagship Phu Kham Copper-Gold Operation and the Ban Houayxai Gold-Silver Operation, both in Laos.
The company also holds a majority interest in the Inca de Oro Copper-Gold Project in Chile through an alliance with Codelco.
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