Copper prices edged higher on Thursday, as the metals market saw an extended inflow of money through investment funds, while a forecast of potential deficit in the refined copper market this year also lent support. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 0.2% at $9,795.50 per metric ton, as of 0222 GMT, while the most-traded June copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) advanced 0.7% to 79,210 yuan ($10,932.15) a ton. “Fund buying was still relentless during the U.S. session … and after a slightly weaker opening, Asian funds seem to be follow through too on this wave of buying,” ... (full story)