* GRAPHIC-2019 asset returns: (Updates with closing prices)By Eric OnstadLONDON, July 22 (Reuters) - Nickel prices fell on Monday asspeculators locked in profits by liquidating bullish positionsafter the market surged to levels not supported by currentsupply-demand fundamentals.Other industrial metals prices were also in the red, underpressure from a firmer dollar and uncertainty about globaleconomic growth and demand, especially in top metals consumerChina.Prices of nickel, used mostly in making stainless steel, hadsoared to their highest since June 2018 on Thursday after rising20% in the previous two weeks.Three-month nickel on the London Metal Exchange fell 3.1% in closing open outcry activity on Monday to $14,300 atonne."We're more in a stage of profit-taking rather thanaggressive shorting the market. There's a lot of concern
because we have a large buyer with deep pockets, and standing inthe way of that can be challenging," said Citi analyst OliverNugent in London.
He was referring to a Reuters report that Chinese firmTsingshan Holding Group has been buying large quantities ofnickel on the LME to supplement its own output. Nugent said Citi forecast prices would ease back to $13,500a tonne in the fourth quarter based on supply/demandfundamentals and marginal prices, but in the meantime pricescould be volatile."Flows can dictate the direction of the market as long asthat position is funded. The question is do the flows come backwith full force or are things allowed to settle?"
* NICKEL INVENTORIES: LME nickel inventories carved out a fresh low since January 2013, data showed, havingshed about 30% so far this year.
* FERROUS COMPLEX: Steelmaking ingredients nickel and zincwere weighed down by losses in the Chinese ferrous complex,where benchmark Dalian iron ore futures fell 1.6%.
* ZINC TIME SPREADS: The discount of cash LME zinc to thethree-month contract sunk to $11.50 a tonne byFriday's close, the biggest discount since September last year,indicating healthier near-term supplies.This compares to premiums of $12 a week ago and $161 in lateMay, when buyers were worried about potential shortages.
* ZINC PRICE: CTA (Commodity Trade Advisor) funds, oftendriven by computer algorithms, were selling zinc on Mondaymorning, Al Munro at broker Marex Spectron said in a note. LMEzinc lost 0.3% to finish at $2,417 a tonne.
* ALUMINIUM OUTPUT: Global primary aluminium output fell to5.246 million tonnes in June from a revised 5.406 million tonnesin May, data showed. "Putting this month's reading to one side, there are nowclear signs that global aluminium output will recover in thesecond half of 2019 as output in China catches up with the restof the world," Kieran Clancy at Capital Economics said in anote.
* PRICES: Benchmark LME copper fell 0.8% to end at$6,017.50 a tonne, aluminium shed 1.7% to $1,816, lead dropped 2.1% to $2,009 and tin , untraded inofficial rings, was bid up 0.3% at $17,850.
* For the top stories in metals and other news, click or ($1 = 6.8765 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Additional reporting by Mai Nguyen in Singapore;Editing by Louise Heavens/ Edmund Blair and EmeliaSithole-Matarise)