April 26 (Reuters) - London copper prices on Tuesday rose from a more than two-month low hit in the previous session, as a slight pullback in the U.S. dollar and hopes for more economic stimulus from top metals consumer China lifted sentiment.

FUNDAMENTALS

* Benchmark three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) was up 1.4% at $9,903 a tonne, as of 0230 GMT, after falling to its lowest since Feb. 9 on Monday.

* The most-active May copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 0.9% to 73,350 yuan ($11,200.01).

* China's central bank said it would step up prudent monetary policy support to the real economy, especially to small firms hit by COVID-19, responding to a media question seeking comment on swings in the financial markets.

* The dollar fell 0.1% against its rivals after climbing to a more than two-year high, supported by prospects of bigger rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

* A weaker dollar makes greenback-denominated metals less expensive for buyers using other currencies.

* Limiting gains, prolonged COVID lockdowns in Shanghai and potential curbs in Beijing raised worries over a slowdown in economic activity and demand for metals.

* The Asian region faces a "stagflationary" outlook, a senior International Monetary Fund official warned, citing the Ukraine war, spike in commodity costs and a slowdown in China as creating significant uncertainty.

* COLUMN-Bears tip-toe back into copper market as demand fears grow: Andy Home.

* Russian metals producer Nornickel said on Monday its first-quarter nickel production rose year-on-year due to the recovery of its two mines after flooding in 2021.

* Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining Co (SMM) decided to discontinue a long-running feasibility study on an Indonesian nickel processing plant project because of a disagreement with partner PT Vale Indonesia.

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MARKETS NEWS

* Asian markets opened cautiously higher on Tuesday as China’s COVID lockdown fears and Fed tightening continue to weigh on investment appetite and investors try to gauge the impact of Beijing's policies to drive growth.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

1230 US Durable Goods March

1400 US Consumer Confidence April

1400 US New Home Sales-Units March

PRICES

Three month LME copper

Most active ShFE copper

Three month LME aluminum

Most active ShFE aluminum

Three month LME zinc

Most active ShFE zinc

Three month LME lead

Most active ShFE lead

Three month LME nickel

Most active ShFE nickel

Three month LME tin

Most active ShFE tin

($1 = 6.5491 yuan) (Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)