The line graph compares three metals in terms of the monthly variations that took place in their prices throughout the year 2014.
Overall, while all metals saw a downward trend in prices in the first half of the year, the reverse was observed in the second half. Notably, nickel exhibited sharp fluctuations, undergoing significant price changes during the year, whereas the figures for copper and zinc showed mild price variations.
Initially, nickel stood out among the three metals with the highest price difference of 6%. The figure, however, witnessed a considerable and consistent drop to -3% by June. Similarly, copper, despite having the second highest price at the beginning, declined sharply over the next six months and accounted for around -1% in June. In the second half of the year, the figures for both metals followed an upward trend, with the price of copper reaching 1.5% in December, and the index for nickel stood at almost 1%.
Regarding zinc, the price was around 1% in January, which was the lowest price seen at the beginning of the year. In the following month, the index reached its peak of 3%, the highest proportion seen in the price of zinc, before falling consistently to -3% in June. The metal, however, recovered its price, increasing moderately over the next five months and outnumbering the other two metals by reaching 2% in the final month.