Copper prices fell on Thursday, as higher-than-expected inflation rate in the United States sparked fears of monetary tightening, potentially restricting liquidity into commodities.

The most-traded June copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange dipped 0.3% to 76,150 yuan ($11,799.25) a tonne at 0224 GMT, while three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was unchanged at $10,445 a tonne.

Both contracts were hovering near their record high levels hit on Monday.

U.S. consumer prices increased by the most in nearly 12 years in April as booming demand amid a reopening economy pushed against supply constraints, which could add fuel to financial market fears of a lengthy period of higher inflation.

The consumer price index jumped 0.8% last month, its largest gain since June 2009. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the CPI would climb 0.2%.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Canadian miner Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd saw its full-year copper production at 150,000-180,000 tonnes, slightly down from a previous estimate of 160,000-180,000 tonnes, after reporting first-quarter output up 29% year-on-year to 45,449 tonnes.

* LME aluminium rose 1.1% to $2,506.50 a tonne, nickel dropped 1% to $17,615 a tonne while tin declined 0.8% to $29,420 a tonne.

* ShFE nickel was down 1.7% at 130,020 yuan a tonne, tin lost 2% to 192,420 yuan a tonne while lead declined 1.6% to 15,365 yuan a tonne.

MARKETS NEWS

* Asian shares faced a third day of losses, after the shocking rise in U.S. inflation bludgeoned Wall Street and sent bond yields surging on worries the Federal Reserve might have to move early on tightening.

1230 US Initial Jobless Clm Weekly ($1 = 6.4538 yuan) (Reporting by Mai Nguyen; Editing by Rashmi Aich)