Copper edged up on Monday as weak Chinese factory data for April raised expectations the top metal consumer may embark on further monetary easing, which would underpin demand for metals.

A surprise rise in U.S. retail sales in April, when Americans bought cars, home improvement materials and a range of other goods, supported the view of resilience in the world's biggest economy as well as helping strengthen the dollar.

A firmer dollar against a basket of currencies pulled gold down more than 1 percent on Monday.

A stronger U.S. unit makes dollar-priced commodities costlier for holders of other currencies. closed at $7,415 a tonne on Monday, up from a close of $7,375 on Friday. It rose nearly 2 percent last week and hit $7,480 last Wednesday, its highest in nearly a month.

China's factory output growth was surprisingly muted in April, darkening the outlook for economic recovery and feeding expectations that Beijing may take policy action to support activity.