Commodity price falls hit coal, steel, metal shares

NEW YORK, June 17 (Reuters) - Shares of U.S. steel, metal and coal companies fell on Wednesday and analysts attributed the drop to lower prices for oil, copper and aluminum. "It must be the trade in commodities, since we've been getting lots of positive news recently on steel," said analyst Charles Bradford of Affiliated Research Group. In London, copper hit a near two-week low as doubts about the global economic recovery renewed worries over metals demand. Benchmark copper MCU3 was selling for $4,900 a tonne, down from Tuesday's close of $4,980. Aluminum MAL3 traded at $1,590 a tonne from $1,610. Oil meanwhile fell below $70 a barrel on Wednesday. In morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange, aluminum producer Alcoa Inc's (AA.N) stock was down 4.9 percent at $10.36 and copper miner Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX.N) slid 5.6 percent to $49.42. Steelmaker ArcelorMittal (MT.N) (ISPA.AS) fell 5.3 percent to $30.49, AK Steel (AKS.N) was down 5 percent at $17.42. U.S. Steel (X.N) fell 3.5 percent to $35.40 and Nucor (NUE.N) was down 2.3 percent at $45.77. The Dow Jones steel index .DJUSST was down 3.5 percent. Coal company stocks fell too, as the oil price slipped. Massey Energy (MEE.N) fell 6.4 percent to $19.88, Peabody Energy (BTU.N) was down 5.9 percent at $30.30, Arch Coal (ACI.N) was 4.7 percent lower at $15.82 and Consol Energy (CNX.N) slipped 4.5 percent to $35.73.