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Cocoa futures

end firmer

NEW YORK: CSCE cocoa futures ended firmer across the board on Thursday, helped by talk of keen end-user buying interest in London and short covering by commission houses, trading sources said.

Good scale-up trade house selling capped today's gains, dealers said, but origins for the most part remained on the sidelines.

September cocoa rose $9 a tonne, to $1,292, after ranging from $1,274 to $1,293. Widely-watched December climbed $7, to $1,327, and held well above key chart support at $1,305. The remaining months gained $8.

Buy stops were hit at $1,322 for December, dealers said.

The day's total volume was estimated at a moderate 6,734 lots.-Reuter