The New York Board of Trade's key March raw sugar contract rose 0.19 cent or 1.9 percent to conclude at 11.82 cents a lb, moving from 11.62 to 11.85 cents. It was an inside day since the range was within Monday's 11.60 to 11.86 cents band.
May gained 0.18 to 11.74 cents.
The rest increased 0.12 to 0.18 cent. "It doesn't look like it's getting out of its range," a long-time floor dealer said, adding key March is pinned between 11.50 and the recent high of 11.86 cents.
The market has staged a blistering rally over the past few weeks due to an increase in the production of the bio-fuel ethanol from sugar, analysts said.
While most market-watchers feel sugar will eventually mount another move higher, the market has been moving between a narrowing band from 11.60 to 11.86 cents.
After sustaining losses from speculators on Monday, the same accounts covered and a further advance was capped by producer sales in sugar, the dealers said.
Volume traded before the close amounted to 21,521 lots, vs. the previous tally of 27,590 contracts. Call volume hit 6,913 contracts and puts stood at 2,193 lots.
Technicians said they feel resistance for the March contract would be at the contract peak of 11.91 and then 12 cents. Support would be at 11.50 and 11.40 cents.
Open interest in the No 11 raw sugar market climbed 2,533 lots to 469,305 lots as of October 24.
Ethanol futures were not traded. There were no quotes in the spot November ethanol contract. US domestic sugar prices ended higher as traders pointed to news of extensive damage by Hurricane Wilma to sugarcane fields in Florida, the top growing state in the United States.
The January contract surged 0.20 to 22.05 cents a lb and March rose 0.12 to 21.80 cents. Back months climbed from 0.04 to 0.13 cent. Volume traded before the end of business hit 355 lots, from the previous tally of 370 lots.