London copper hits highest since end-April

SYDNEY, May 12 (Reuters): London copper hit its highest in more than a week on Monday, underpinned by a shortfall of available metal in top consumer China, while nickel came within a whisker of a fresh 2-year top on supply concerns.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange climbed 0.5 percent to $6,778 a tonne by 0136 GMT, after closing little changed in the previous session. Prices earlier hit $6,781.50 a tonne, the highest since April 28.
The most-traded August copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rallied 1.2 percent to 47,620 yuan ($7,600) a tonne.
LME nickel climbed to $20,494, just shy of its $20,500 a tonne peak touched on Friday which was its loftiest since Feb. 2012. Nickel has risen 47 percent so far this year.