June 28 (Reuters) - Copper prices in London firmed on

Friday, but were on track for their biggest monthly decline

since May 2023 amid patchy economic growth in top consumer China

and higher inventories.

Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was

up 0.5% at $9,558.50 per metric ton, as of 0216 GMT. The

contract was down 4.8% in June, and set for a sixth straight

weekly loss, if current trend holds.

After advancing to a record high of $11,104.50 on May 20,

copper prices have fallen 14%, partly on sluggish economic data

from China and uncertainty over U.S. interest rates..

"Markets have shifted their view to the reality of the

fundamentals, and the reality is that demand is weak, especially

in China. Meanwhile, if we look to ex-China, the health of

manufacturing remains clouded, U.S. is performing better, but

Europe remains in manufacturing recession," said StoneX analyst

Natalie Scott-Gray.

"I think we will see copper average around $9,500 per ton

for the year, but prices will likely go above $10,500 by

year-end, when I suspect we have the first U.S. rate cut."

Copper inventories in warehouses monitored by

the Shanghai Futures Exchange were at 322,910 tons last week,

compared with about 30,000 tons in January, reflecting the

abundant supply in China.

The most-traded August copper contract on the Shanghai

Futures Exchange rose 0.2% at 78,060 yuan ($10,741.56),

but was set to post its worst month since July 2022.

In the broader market, the dollar was headed for a monthly

gain, making greenback-priced metals more expensive to holders

of other currencies.

LME aluminium gained 0.5% to $2,504.50 a ton, nickel

edged up 0.7% to $17,220.00, zinc rose 0.6% at

$2,947.50, lead added 0.5% to $2,189.50, and tin

rose 0.6% at $32,440.

SHFE aluminium steadied at 20,250 yuan a ton,

nickel was flat at 134,920 yuan, lead was up

0.6% at 19,370 yuan, while zinc rose 0.6% to 24,370

yuan and tin was up 1.1% at 269,560 yuan.

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DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0600 UK GDP QQ, YY Q1

0645 France CPI (EU Norm) Prelim YY, MM June

0645 France CPI Prelim MM NSA June

0645 France Producer Prices YY May

0755 Germany Unemployment Chg, Rate SA June

1230 US Consumption, Adjusted MM May

1230 US Core PCE Price Index MM, YY May

($1 = 7.2671 Chinese yuan)