NEW DELHI, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Copper prices inched higher on Thursday, buoyed by better-than-expected economic data from top metals consumer China, although gains were capped by a firm U.S. dollar.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.1% at $7,983 per metric ton by 0222 GMT.
The most-traded November copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange was down 0.02% at 66,480 yuan ($9,090.54) a tonne.
China's gross domestic product grew 4.9% in July-September, beating analysts' forecasts, while consumption and industrial activity in September suggested policy measures are helping bolster the economy's tentative recovery.
"The base metals complex responded positively to the data; however, gains were muted, and we expect to see mean-reverting strategies at play in the coming months," Sucden Financial said in a report.
The dollar held the yen near a two-week low, as growing expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve will keep rates higher for longer had the greenback and U.S. Treasury yields on the rise overnight and markets awaited a speech by Fed Chair Powell.
LME zinc was down 0.3% to $2,429 a ton, tin fell 0.7% to $25,375, lead eased 0.3% to $2,095, while aluminium was up 0.4% at $2,191.50 a tonne.
SHFE aluminium edged up 0.5% to 18,970 yuan a ton, nickel was down 0.6% at 149,750 yuan, tin gained 0.2% to 218,290 yuan, while zinc was down 0.05% to 21,105 yuan, and lead was 0.3% higher at 16,415 yuan.
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($1 = 7.3131 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Neha Arora; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
