Arabica coffee futures edged higher amid thin trading volumes Friday, with roasters taking an opportunity to fix their positions ahead of a long weekend. At the New York Board of Trade's the active May arabica contract settled at $1.2030 a lb., up 0.80 cent, after trading in a daily range from $1.1830 to $1.210. Front-month March gained 1.00 cent to end at $1.1805, while distant months finished up 0.60 to 0.80 cent.

Estimated trading volume in NYBOT coffee futures reached 8,021 lots, sharply down from Thursday's official 18,403.

Copyright Reuters, 2005