* GRAPHIC-2019 asset returns: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl

(Updates with closing prices)

By Eric Onstad

LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Aluminium touched a three-monthpeak on Tuesday after major producer Norsk Hydro NHY.OL washit by a cyber attack, causing its giant smelters to switch tomanual operation and some extrusion plants to be shut.

Other industrial metals also gained ground on optimism abouteasy monetary policy ahead of a U.S. central bank meeting and onhopes for further stimulus in top metals consumer China.

Aluminium prices spiked after Hydro said the IT systems formost of its activities had been affected. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2161J6

"The trigger was the news from Hydro about their productionproblems after the cyber attack, and since aluminium is themetal with the biggest short position, there was probably shortcovering taking place," said Gianclaudio Torlizzi, partner atconsultancy T-Commodity in Milan.

Benchmark aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchangetraded 1.3 percent higher at $1,946 a tonne, the strongest sinceDec. 18, in closing open outcry trading.

* ALUMINIUM INVENTORIES: Helping to cap gains in aluminiumwas a 17 percent jump in on-warrant LME inventories MALSTX-TOTAL , stocks not earmarked for delivery, to 761,425tonnes, daily LME data showed on Tuesday.

* FED MEETING: Base metals joined rising world shares asrisk appetite increased, with investors betting on a dovishstatement from the U.S. central bank on Wednesday. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2162HB

Torlizzi, however, was cautious. "If you stick to theeconomic data, there shouldn't be so many reasons to bebullish," he said. "The market is running the risk of beingdisappointed tomorrow, which could translate into downsidepressures."

* COPPER: Three-month copper CMCU3 gained 0.5 percent toend at $6,459 a tonne after a union at Chile's Sierra Gordacopper mine, controlled by Polish mining company KGHM KGH.WA ,said it could strike this week after rejecting the latest offerin contract negotiations. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N215135

* TECHNICALS: LME copper may test resistance at $6,525 pertonne this week, a break above which could lead to a gain intothe range of $6,594-$6,662, according to Reuters technicalanalyst Wang Tao.

* NICKEL: A rise in Chinese steel and iron ore pricessupported nickel, mainly used to make stainless steel. LME CMNI3 prices climbed 1.9 percent to finish at $13,190 a tonne. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2161OJ

* PHILIPPINE NICKEL: Nickel Asia Corp NIKL.PS , thePhilippines' top nickel ore producer, expects its 2019 shipmentsto be unchanged from last year, although it plans to increaseits domestic sales to maximise profits. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N21512X

* PRICES: Zinc CMZN3 gained 1.3 percent to close at $2,818a tonne, lead CMPB3 slipped 0.1 percent to $2,038, and tin CMSN3 added 0.5 percent to finish at $21,275.

* For the top stories in metals and other news, click TOP/MTL or MET/L

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Top Base and Precious Metals Analysis - GFMS http://tmsnrt.rs/2lvmIzW

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Singapore; Editing byJan Harvey) ((eric.onstad@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 7093; Twitter https://twitter.com/reutersEricO; Reuters Messaging: eric.onstad.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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