A revival of spot trading activity amid an improving auto industry and a drop in cheap imports sent US silicon prices close to 2020's year-to-date high.The rising price of secondary aluminium alloys, the main end market for the 5-5-3 grade silicon metal Fastmarkets prices in the United States, also drew the raw material up in its wake. Fastmarkets assessed the price for silicon, ddp US, at 94-97 c...Read More
Key data from the Friday August 28 pricing session in Shanghai.Key drivers Exporters raised their offers following gains in the domestic market; domestic prices are said to be around 10,300-10,400 yuan ($1,499-1,514) per tonne, compared with around 10,200-10,300 yuan...Read More
Spot cobalt hydroxide payables consolidated last week amid a slowdown in trading activity, with buyers and sellers both unwilling to compromise in order to secure deals. Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, held at 76.5-77% of the price for cobalt standard grade (low-end) on Friday August 28. The raw materials price has been unchanged for three consecutive pricin...Read More
Markets were for the most part upbeat this morning, Tuesday September 1, with all the metals on the London Metal Exchange firmer, as were pre-market major western equity index prices.China’s Caixin manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) beat expectations with a reading of 53.1 for August, compared with 52.8 in July. This was enough to send three-month LME copper prices to levels...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were mostly higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 7 points in pre-opening trade. Zoom advanced $11.90 to $238.00 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter revenues and earnings. The company also raised guidance. JP Morgan and Stiffel Nicolaus raised their target price on the stock.Eastman Kodak gained $1.89 to $7.87 on news that DE Shaw acquired a 5....Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 28 that are worth another look.South American flat-rolled steel import prices ended the week on August 28 showing no clear trend because deals for October-shipment cargoes were very scarce, and customers were still waiting to hear offers for November shipments.The first...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 28 that are worth another look.South American flat-rolled steel import prices ended the week on August 28 showing no clear trend because deals for October-shipment cargoes were very scarce, and customers were still waiting to hear offers for November shipments.The first...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 28 that are worth another look.South American flat-rolled steel import prices ended the week on August 28 showing no clear trend because deals for October-shipment cargoes were very scarce, and customers were still waiting to hear offers for November shipments.The first...Read More
Sanjeev Gupta, Executive Chairman of steel and aluminium investment company GFG Alliance, will head the roster at the London Metal Exchange's virtual seminar this year, the LME announced on August 28.The virtual seminar will start on Monday October 19, 2020 and replaces the annual LME week gathering of metal market participants in London, which has been canceled amid the Covid-19 pandemic.Gupta ha...Read More
The European Commission (EC) has started an expiry review of anti-dumping measures on imports of cold-rolled flat stainless steel from China and Taiwan.The request for an expiry review was lodged by the European steel association Eurofer on May 27 this year."The request is based on the grounds that the expiry of the measures would be likely to result in continuation or recurrence...Read More
The steel recycling division of Tata Steel has announced it is launching a mobile app for sourcing steel scrap in India, the company said on August 19.The app - named FerroHaat - claims to be a world first and aims to source steel scrap from traders in India. The app is a step toward organizing the currently disorganized Indian scrap supply chain,while also providing a reliable source of scrap met...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 28 that are worth another look.South American flat-rolled steel import prices ended the week on August 28 showing no clear trend because deals for October-shipment cargoes were very scarce, and customers were still waiting to hear offers for November shipments.The first...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Friday August 28 that are worth another look.South American flat-rolled steel import prices ended the week on August 28 showing no clear trend because deals for October-shipment cargoes were very scarce, and customers were still waiting to hear offers for November shipments.The first...Read More
Plans for a London Metal Exchange spot trading platform have sparked intense debate within the aluminium industry. But opponents and supporters don't necessarily fall into the camps that one might expect. For starters, a decision by the LME not to change its futures contract, establish a new green aluminium contract or set thresholds to define what constitutes low-carbon metal is proving key in st...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.These include an increase in our copper mine disruption estimates, upgrades to our production outlook for Indonesian nickel pig iron (NPI), a smaller refined zinc surplus, and an upgrade to our zinc price forecasts.Aluminium: Big disconnect between price and fundamentalsAluminium has extended its uptrend on the London Metal...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US market under pressureUS prices for welded pipe products were under pressure because market participants, especially distributors, have started to take steps to generate cash and were moving material if they were able to do so, even if it meant selling at low prices.We expect more such "fire sales" in the coming months, bu...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.August 2020 has seen the prices of most steel products move up in tandem around the world, in contrast to recent months when steel prices have moved in different directions depending on the market.This dynamic has been seen in most coated steel markets as well, with the prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG), pre-painted...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.US market at risk of slidingPrices for pipe products were at a floor in the United States in mid-August, and have been broadly stable at that level since the start of the second quarter, but they are at risk of declining further in the coming months.Drilling rig counts have yet to find a floor and have fallen below most esti...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key North American steel forecast highlights:US domestic prices for hot-rolled coil moved down in line with our expectations, averaging $461 per ton in July versus our forecast price of $460 per ton. Although domestic HRC prices slipped to less than $450 per ton in late July/early August, we maintain the view th...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In the year 2020 to date in late August, the Fastmarkets 62% Fe iron ore benchmark has powered along and reached six-year highs, supported by Chinese demand, and despite the global economic uncertainty created by the Covid-19 pandemic. Iron ore demand has weakened almost everywhere except in China, where it has continued to...Read More