METALS-Copper prices little changed, China stimulus eyed

Dec 9 (Reuters) - London copper prices were largely unchanged on Monday, as traders looked for further signals on top consumer China's stimulus measures this month. Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) CMCU3 edged up by 0.08% at $9,130 per metric ton, as of 0218 GMT. Meanwhile, the most-traded January copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) SCFcv1 was up 0.5% to 74,920 yuan ($10,296.02). The market's focus is on China's Central Economic Work Conference meeting this month, where top leaders will set economic growth targets. So far, investors have faced disappointment about the lack of aggressive fiscal stimulus measures by China to boost its sluggish economy. "Any signals for higher monetary or fiscal stimulus will be well received - although it does appear as though markets have a default setting of being disappointed by Chinese stimulus efforts so far," said Natalie Scott-Gray, senior metals analyst, EMEA & Asia at StoneX. LME aluminium CMAL3 was up 0.1% at $2,606.5 a ton, zinc CMZN3 rose 0.3% at $3,081.5, lead CMPB3 decreased 0.3% to$2,064.5, tin CMSN3 dropped 0.2% at $29,105, while nickel CMNI3 rose 0.02% at $16,050. SHFE aluminium SAFcv1 slipped 0.1% to 20,395 yuan a ton, tin SSNcv1 was up 0.5% at 245,040 yuan, nickel SNIcv1 rose 1.6% to 127,290 yuan, while zinc SZNcv1 declined 0.4% to 25,500 yuan and lead SPBcv1 fell 0.8% at 17,615 yuan. For the top stories in metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or MET/L ($1 = 7.2766 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Neha Arora; Editing by Varun H K) (([email protected]))