* Zinc prices slide more than 4%
* Copper spread pulls back after hitting record
* GRAPHIC-2021 asset returns: http://tmsnrt.rs/2jvdmXl
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Copper prices dipped on Tuesday as speculators locked in profits after heady recent gains amid a pullback in energy markets.
Zinc prices tumbled as inventories ticked higher.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange was down 0.6% at $10,134 a tonne by 1630 GMT, moving into the red after earlier rising as much as 2% to $10,402.50.
LME copper had jumped by 15% in less than two weeks, moving closer to the record peak of $10,747.50 touched in May.
Industrial users scrambled to buy material as inventories slid while soaring energy prices spurred smelter suspensions in some LME metals.
"There seems to be some profit-taking, led by the fact that the energy complex is falling back a bit," said Gianclaudio Torlizzi, partner at the T-Commodity consultancy in Milan.
U.S. natural gas futures slipped to near a four-week low on Tuesday.
"But it (pullback) doesn't change the overall bullish path ... Climate-change policies are a game changer, increasing demand for copper all over the world."
LME cash copper's premium over the three-month contract
The premium soared on Monday as shorts covered positions ahead of "Third Wednesday," when monthly contracts expire, traders said. The premium eased to $740 on Tuesday.
A weaker dollar offered support, making greenback-priced metals cheaper to holders of other currencies.
* LME zinc sank 4.3% to $3,538.50 a tonne after having built up the biggest net speculative position since 2014, according to estimates by broker Marex.
LME zinc inventories
* On-warrant LME copper inventories
* One party held more than 90% of available LME lead stocks and short-term futures <0#LME-WHT>.
* LME aluminium dropped 1.6% to $3,116 a tonne, lead declined 0.6% to $2,365 while tin rose 0.5% to $38,005 after touching a record $38,800 and nickel advanced 0.3% to $20,050.
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(Reporting by Eric Onstad in London Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Hanoi Editing by Paul Simao and Matthew Lewis)