Asian Rubber Futures End Higher

Benchmark Tokyo rubber futures rose for a fourth day Friday to trade at their highest level since September last year.

"The overall market sentiment has been high as investors are more willing to take risk than before," said a Tokyo- based dealer.Kaname Gokon, an analyst at Okato Shoji, said the session's market moves were mainly because of short-covering by investors worried that with an improvement in sentiment prices would start to rise.

The Tocom benchmark six-month contract ended the night session up three yen at Y177.6($1.56) a kilogram, having earlier touched a high of Y179.3 a kilogram.

Asian Rubber Futures             Mar 04               Change from previous close

Tocom    Aug RSS3              Y174.6/Kg                  Up Y9.9/Kg

Shanghai May SCR5             CNY11,070/Ton          Up CNY400/Ton

Thai     Sep RSS3                  THB48.10/Kg              Up THB2.05.Kg

Sicom    May RSS3               US 148.0 cents/Kg      Up US 9.1 cents/Kg

Sicom    May TSR20             US 133.1 cents/Kg      Up US 9.3 cents/Kg

Asian Physical Rubber

Grade     Shipment     Mar 04       Mar 03

RSS3       Apr/May       147-148     136-137

STR20     Apr/May       133-134     122-123

SIR20      Apr/May       133-134     122-123

SMR20     Apr/May       132-133    121-122

SVR3L      Apr/May       132-133    132-133

USS          Mar      THB43.11-THB43.66/Kg          THB41.74-THB42.12/Kg