At 11:40 IST, the BSE Metal index was up 0.34% at 16,276.54. It outperformed the Sensex, which was down 0.20% at 17,163.76.
The BSE Metal index had outperformed the market over the past one month till 25 November 2009, rising 5.19% as compared to the Sensex's 2.31% rise. It outperformed the market in past one quarter, gaining 28.46% as against 9.63% increase in the Sensex.
Hindustan Zinc (up 5.03%), Hindalco Industries (up 3.25%), Gujarat NRE Coke (up 2.54%), Sterlite Industries (up 2.15%), Jindal Saw (up 1.67%), National Aluminium Company (up 0.99%), JSW Steel (up 0.58%), NMDC (up 0.15%), and Steel Authority of India (up 0.05%), rose.
Copper rose on Thursday, with London and Shanghai hitting 14-month high after upbeat economic data in the US on jobless claims, personal consumption and new home sales data boosted sentiment. Copper, used largely in power and construction, is considered a gauge of economic activity.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rose 0.50% to $7,026 a tonne. It pared gains after touching 7,060, its highest since September last year. Benchmark third-month Shanghai copper was at 55,230 yuan, after hitting a 14-month peak of 55,500 yuan.