Aug 27(Reuters) – Following are prices for Tokyo rubber
futures at the end of the Tokyo market’s evening session on
thursday

Contract Day Volume Evening Volume
* September 194.3 9 n.a n.a
* October 195.9 38 n.a n.a
* November 198.1 48 n.a n.a
* December 201.3 689 201.4 179
* January 204.3 4190 204.7 417
* February 206.8 8060 207.1 1157

*The evening session is considered part of the following
day’s trading by TOCOM, so prices at the end of the day session
at 0630 GMT are the day’s official closing prices.
* The Tokyo Commodity Exchange launched a new trading
platform on May 7 and added a night session between 0800 GMT and
1400 GMT. For rubber, the evening session is 0800-1000 GMT.

Source: Reuters

TOKYO, Aug 27 (Reuters) – Tokyo rubber futures erased earlier losses to inch up on Thursday, as improved technical charts prompted funds to enter the market, offsetting the negative impact from the yen’s strength.
* The benchmark Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for February delivery <0#JRU:>, which debuted on Wednesday, was at 206.9 yen per kg late on Thursday, up 0.1 yen from the previous close. The benchmark fell as much as 1.5 percent to 203.8 yen.
* Rubber futures have recovered from a low near 191 yen hit after touching a 10-month high of 214.0 yen on Aug. 14, suggesting the market was due for an uptrend, said Masato Miyanaga, senior adviser at H.S. Futures in Tokyo.
* “The Relative Strength Index is also turning upward while levels where stop-loss orders are placed are inching up,” he said. The Relative Strength Index shows the strength of a price by comparing upward and downwward close-to-close movements.
* Miyanaga said chart-based funds appear to be putting money in the market, given improved technicals. If the market closes above 209 yen — the settlement price of the day before prices hit the 10-month high — it would signal the market has entered an upper range, he said.
* Rubber prices were lower earlier on Thursday as NYMEX crude oil futures for October delivery briefly dipped below $71 a barrel, after settling down 62 cents at $71.43 on Wednesday. Wednesday’s loss came on top of Tuesday’s $2.32 decline. [O/R]
* The yen and dollar held onto broad gains on Thursday as investor fatigue in riskier assets like stocks and higher-yielding currencies set in, despite robust economic data from the United States and Europe. [USD/]

Source: Reuters

[Dow Jones] Asia physical rubber prices rise on demand from tiremakers in China, jump in Tocom futures, traders say. “The strong opening of the new (February) contract on Tocom has given a boost to price sentiment,” says exporter in Thailand. There is strong demand for SMR20 grade Malaysian rubber in China, says Singapore-based trader; adds several deals for SMR20 took place yesterday at $2.01/kg, including cost, insurance, freight; shipment scheduled in September. For daily breakdown of cash prices for all rubber grades, keyword search ASIA PHYSICAL RUBBER. (SAM)

Source: Dow Jones

SINGAPORE (Dow Jones)–Thailand”s physical USS3 grade raw material prices for rubber have risen above THB65 a kilogram, up 30% since the beginning of last month, due to tight supply amid heavy rain and slow tapping of trees, trading executives said Wednesday.

Thai USS3 rubber was sold in the three central markets at THB64.91-THB65.03/kg, up from THB63.89-THB64.70 the previous day, a Hat Yai-based trader said.

Combined daily sales in the three central markets is estimated at 64 metric tons compared with 49 tons Tuesday, he said. Total sales have exceeded 100 tons only 25 times so far this year.

Some producers of rubber sheets say the cost of production is higher than prices at which RSS3 grade is now being offered in the market.

They have pinned their hopes on dry weather for the last 24 hours in some of the rubber growing regions, which may prompt growers to resume tapping.

Source: Dow Jones

TOKYO, Aug 26 (Reuters) – Tokyo rubber futures rose to recover from earlier losses helped by steadier crude oil prices and firm stocks, which encouraged the view the economy may be on the mend.
* The Tokyo Commodity Exchange rubber contract for February <0#JRU:>, which debuted on Wednesday, was at 207 yen per kg at 0617 GMT, after opening at 202 yen, down a touch from the day’s peak so far of 207.6 yen.
* “If the market can stay above 200 yen, I think speculators may try to move the market up to test the previous high of 214 yen,” a Thai-based trader said.
* The TOCOM rubber benchmark rose to a 10-month high of 214 yen on Aug. 14.
* The August rubber futures contract expired on Tuesday at 197.2 yen per kg, up 1.8 yen on the day, with 164 lots or 820 tonnes of deliveries. [ID:nT64664]
* In the physical market late on Tuesday, Bridgestone Corp <5108.T>, Japan’s top tyre maker, bought Thai RSS3 grade for October at $2.08 per kg, as it continued its purchases of the industrial commodity.
* China, the world’s top rubber consumer, bought a large volume of Indonesian SIR20 for November for 85 cents per pound.
* U.S. crude for October steadied to trade above $72 per barrel on Wednesday, after tumbling 3 percent in the previous session as dealers rushed to take profits from a rally that had culminated in a 10-month peak earlier in the day. [O/R]
* Against the yen, the dollar was steady on the day at 94.22 yen . [USD/]
* Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T>, the No.1 automaker, will cut its global production capacity to match lower sales, a company source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday. [ID:nBNG459680]
* Japan’s Nikkei stock average hit its highest close in 10 months on Wednesday after U.S. data strengthened hopes for an economic recovery, but trade was cautious ahead of an Aug. 30 election in Japan. [.T]
* U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday when a U.S. consumer confidence index topped economists’ forecasts and a home price index for June showed a rise for a second straight month, suggesting a recovery in two sectors crucial to a rebound in the U.S. economy. The nomination of Ben Bernanke for a second term as head of the Federal Reserve also reassured investors. [.N]

Source: Reuters