Copper miners gain on US rate cut hopes and Chinese demand

** U.S.-listed shares of copper miners rise premarket, tracking prices of the red metal

** Benchmark three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange up 0.3% at $9,714 a metric ton, extending a rebound after touching its lowest in three weeks on July 31

** Copper prices crept higher for a third consecutive session, bolstered by hopes of U.S. interest rate cuts after a central bank appointment and upbeat economic data in China

** U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced his pick to fill a vacant seat at the Federal Reserve, boosting hopes of interest rate cuts and weakening the dollar FRX/

** A softer dollar .DXY makes commodities priced in the U.S. currency less expensive for buyers using other currencies

** Global mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.N up 1% and BHP Group BHP.N up marginally

** Copper miners Southern Copper SCCO.N up marginally and Freeport-McMoRan FCX.N up ~1%

** Canadian miner Hudbay Minerals HBM.TO, HBM.N up marginally, Ero Copper ERO.TO, ERO.N up 1.7% and Teck Resources TECKb.TO, TECK.N up ~1%