Zinc suffered a sharp setback to trade Rs 2.60, or 2.53 per cent lower in futures trade today after speculators booked profits amid weak trend overseas.
At the Multi Commodity Exchange counter, zinc for September lost Rs 2.60, or 2.53 per cent, to Rs 100.10 per kg, with a turnover of 5,012 lots, while the October contract fell by Rs 2.55, or 2.46 per cent, to Rs 101.15 per kg, with a turnover of 246 lots.
The metal for delivery in October also slipped by a similar margin to Rs 102.15 per kg, clocked a turnover of 56 lots.
Analysts said apart from profit-booking by speculators and weakening trend in base metals overseas after a report that regulators may be investigating large futures positions in Shanghai, led to a fall in zinc futures prices.
Meanwhile, zinc in London declined the most since June 29 to $2,075.25 a tonne, while at Shanghai, it fell by the daily 5 per cent limit to 17,190 yuan per tonne in the morning trade today.