Finance & economics | Buttonwood

Why it is time to retire Dr Copper

The red metal no longer tells investors much about the global economy

A stethoscope being thrown into a waste paper bin
Image: Satoshi Kambayashi

Doctors are famously reluctant to hang up their stethoscopes. But a time comes in the career of every medic when their skills fade, and a gentle push is the best thing for them—and their patients. The same applies for the metaphorical physicians of the financial world, whose ability to diagnose the market’s health changes over time. Now the end may be nigh for the most illustrious of all such physicians: Dr Copper.

This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “Farewell Dr Copper”

From the October 21st 2023 edition

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