US copper steadies with stocks, economic fears cap

NEW YORK, July 13 (Reuters) - U.S. copper futures bounced on either side of unchanged Monday morning, tracking volatile swings in equities and held hostage by continued uncertainty about global economic recovery prospects.

For detailed report on global copper markets, click on [MET/L]

* Copper for September delivery HGU9 up 0.15 cent at $2.2130 a lb by 10:37 a.m. EDT (1437 GMT) on the New York Mercantile Exchange's COMEX division.

* Ranging $2.1830 to $2.2365.

* COMEX estimated futures volume at 6,003 lots by 9 a.m.

* Copper trading in lock-step with equities. Both viewed as proxies for the economy - brokers.

* Investors to focus on key economic data and company results this week for signs of strength in the world economy and corporate profitability - RBC Capital Markets.

* Market to key in on U.S. producer price index and retail sales figures for June on Tuesday, followed by June industrial production data on Wednesday, weekly initial jobless claims and Philadelphia Fed index on Thursday, and June housing starts data on Friday.

* Japanese industrial output rose 5.7 percent in May from April [ID:nT184581], while consumer confidence also improved [ID:nTFD006303]

* China's economy probably grew by 7.5 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, better than the 6.1 percent pace in January-March, due in part by increased government spending and bank lending - Reuters poll. [ID:nPEK11415]

* China's imports of unwrought copper and semi-finished copper products in June hit an all-time record for a fifth straight month of 475,999 tonnes, from May's 422,666 tonnes. [ID:nBJI000181]

* London Metal Exchange warehouse stocks <LME/STX1> down 1,350 tonnes at 257,225 tonnes on Monday.

* COMEX copper stocks CMWSU up 46 short tons at 59,330 short tons as of Friday.

* COMEX copper net noncommercial short position at 20,961 lots in week ended July 7, from 20,064 a week earlier. Open interest fell to 102,426 lots from 104,189 lots in the week of June 30. [ID:nN10535629]

* LME copper for three-months delivery MCU3 last traded at $4,870 a tonne, from Friday's kerb close at $4,860. (Reporting by Chris Kelly; Editing by John Picinich)