Key Tokyo rubber futures rose for a fifth day in a row to touch a more than 7-1/2 month high on Friday as trade for 2012 ended with a 15 percent gain, bolstered by a weaker yen, higher stocks and speculation over buying by China early next year. It was the best annual performance since 2010 when rubber prices jumped about 50 percent. The Tokyo market dropped more than 30 percent last year, hurt by the festering euro zone debt crisis that triggered demand worries.

The most active rubber futures contract on the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM) for June delivery rose 1.8 yen or 0.6 percent at 302.5 yen ($3.5) per kg. The contract earlier rose as high as 304 yen, the highest for any benchmark since May 8. The most-active rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for May delivery rose 310 yuan to 26,180 yuan ($4,200) per tonne. The front-month rubber contract on Singapore's SICOM exchange for January delivery last traded at 300 US cents per kg, down 0.3 cents.

Copyright Reuters, 2012