The graph below shows the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during 2014.

The line graph illustrates average monthly percentage changes in the prices of copper, nickel and zinc during 2014, relative to the previous month.

Overall, nickel registered the most substantial monthly change early in the year, but its figures weakened considerably as the year progressed. Zinc underwent a prolonged downturn in the middle of the year before mounting a strong recovery from October onwards, while copper fluctuated throughout. Notably, there was one month when all three metals recorded declines simultaneously.

Nickel's monthly change reached 6% in January, the highest across all three metals. It then fell steadily, 2falling to -3%recording a decline of 3% in June. A brief recovery in July was followed by 3a further dip to -2%a further drop of 2% in October, after which the figure levelled off at a 1% rise in both November and December. 4Copper began the year with a 2% increase, slipped into negative territory 5to around -0.5% in May and Juneat a 1% fall in April and May, recovered to hold at a 1% gain from July to September, 6before rising to around 1% in November and 1.5% in Decemberthen fell by 1% in November before ending the year with no change.

Zinc peaked at a 3% rise in February. Its monthly change then weakened progressively, 7turning negative in Juneturning negative from April and 8dropping to -1% in Junehitting a 1% decline in June. This downward trend continued until October, when a sharp turnaround began, and zinc closed the year with consistent monthly gains, finishing at a 2% rise in December.