** Shares of copper miners up; copper prices hit their strongest in five months

** Benchmark three-month copper CMCU3 on the London Metal Exchange $(LME.AU)$ up 0.7% at $9,853/metric ton by 1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. ET), having touched $9,860/metric ton, its highest since October 8

** Copper prices were supported by the latest economic stimulus plan from top metals consumer China and a weaker U.S. dollar, with traders awaiting more clarity on U.S. tariff risks and their effect on global growth

** U.S.-listed shares of global mining giants Rio Tinto RIO.N and BHP Group BHP.N rise ~1% and 1.8%, respectively

** Copper miners Southern Copper SCCO.N and Freeport-McMoRan FCX.N up 1.3% and 2.2%, respectively

** Shares of Canadian miners Ero Copper ERO.TO rise 3.7%, Hudbay Minerals HBM.TO up ~4% and Teck Resources TECKb.TO rise ~1%

(Reporting by Pooja Menon in Bengaluru)

((Pooja.Menon@thomsonreuters.com;))