Aluminium prices seen under pressure

With the slack in economic activity across the globe, demand for aluminium is likely to remain subdued in the first half of 2012. On the other hand, the second half may witness a rise in demand for the metal from a likely rebound in the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.Prices accentuated in the first half of 2011 to reach its two-year high of $2,803 a tonne, at the London Metal Exchange (LME), translating thereby at Rs 124.15 a kg on the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) on the back of growth optimism worldwide.