December copper futures are expected to open floor trading around 3 to 4 cents a pound higher Wednesday, based on electronic activity ahead of the pit session on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. Follow-through from Tuesday's gain is expected on a morning when the dollar has weakened and stock-index futures are higher. The euro is up to $1.4673 and has been as muscular as $1.4714, compared to $1.4667 late Tuesday afternoon. In screen trading ahead of the pit open, the December S&P 500 futures are up 4.80 points to 1,050.70. October crude oil is down 18 cents to $70.75 a barrel in overnight activity. U.S. economic data Wednesday include: - the August Consumer Price Index at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT), forecast to rise 0.4%, but be up 0.1% for the core rate excluding food and energy; - the second-quarter current-account deficit due out at 8:30 a.m. EDT (1230 GMT), expected to be $92.5 billion; - July Treasury international capital flows at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT); - August industrial production at 9:15 a.m. EDT (1315 GMT), forecast to be up 0.6%, with capacity utilization expected to uptick to 69% from 68.5% in July; and - the National Association of Home Builders September housing-market index at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT), expected to rise to 19 from 18 the prior month. In New York Tuesday, copper finished higher with the help of a strong U.S. report on retail sales, although overall the market remains range-bound as it assesses economic prospects versus rising exchange inventories. December copper rose 4.05 cents to settle at $2.8450 per pound.

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