Editor's Note: Welcome to Kitco's new Bitcoin Daily Technical Alert. Every trading day veteran Kitco technical analyst Jim Wyckoff will provide you with a concise and easy-to-understand near-term technical brief on Bitcoin. Importantly, Jim will glean the short-term charts and technical studies, and then alert you to the signals he sees regarding upcoming potential bigger price moves or price tren...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday June 20.Base metals on the London Metal Exchange ended trading broadly lower on Tuesday June 19, led by a 2.2% drop in aluminium prices, while nickel and zinc's three-month prices dipped 2.1%. Read more here in our live futures report.Here is how prices looked at the close of trading:BHP has agreed to sell its Cerro Colorado coppe...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Wednesday June 20.Base metals on the London Metal Exchange ended trading broadly lower on Tuesday June 19, led by a 2.2% drop in aluminium prices, while nickel and zinc's three-month prices dipped 2.1%. Read more here in our live futures report.Here is how prices looked at the close of trading:BHP has agreed to sell its Cerro Colorado coppe...Read More
Zinc prices on the London Metal Exchange settled at their lowest in nine months at the close of trading on Wednesday June 20, while copper prices continued to edge lower on a surging US dollar index. Closing below $3,000 per tonne for the first time since August 2017, zinc prices fell to a low of $2,981 per tonne over the afternoon, shedding more than 6% of its three-month price week on week. ...Read More
Over-eager zinc bears have contributed to a ballooning backwardation in London Metal Exchange price spreads, having bet prices would drop further and sooner than fundamentals have allowed. The LME cash/three-month zinc price spread swung into a $43 per tonne backwardation on Monday June 18, from $30 per tonne backwardation on June 12 and a $3 per tonne contango at the end of May. The spreads have...Read More
Tin premiums were stable across global markets amid quiet trading conditions, while high outflows from Indonesia continue to keep market sentiment bearish.High inflows from Indonesia continue to keep market sentiment bearish, while sufficient supply and a weakening euro are keeping premiums flat across the board. Europe keeps steady amid quiet trading SHFE tin stocks rally 8% week on week US premi...Read More
Ferro-chrome prices cif China have risen over the past two weeks, underpinned by uncertain electricity supply at the country's main exporter, which could lead to higher production costs, as well as tightening domestic supply. Metal Bulletin calculated the charge chrome index cif China at $0.97 per Ib on Friday June 15, up 4 cents week on week and following another 4 cent increase the week pri...Read More
UC Rusal has started to export bauxite mined at Dian-Dian in Guinea's Bok?(C) province. Shipments follow the completion of the first stage of development at the deposit, which has capacity of 3 million tonnes per year of bauxite. As part of the first stage, Rusal has built the necessary roads, railway and other infrastructure needed to serve the mine. The company signed a multilateral agreement wi...Read More
Domestic prices for mesh-quality wire rod produced and delivered in both Northern and Southern Europe are unchanged over the past week, sources said on Wednesday June 20.The Southern European domestic price for mesh-quality wire rod held at ?,?520-535 ($602-620) per tonne delivered on June 20 from a week earlier."Mills are looking to push prices up but this hasn't happened yet - the expectation is...Read More
Prices for rebar produced and delivered in Northern Europe are unchanged over the past week amid stronger demand and reduced stock levels, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday June 20.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in Northern Europe held at ?,?535-545 ($620-631) per tonne delivered on Wednesday."We can see that demand is coming back but it has not exactly spiked,"...Read More
Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were up across the board on the morning of Wednesday June 20, with the complex up by an average of 0.3%. Nickel and zinc prices led the way with gains of 0.5%, while copper was up by 0.2% at $6,843 per tonne.This rebound follows yet another day of price weakness on Tuesday that saw the base metals complex drop by an average of 1.7% and th...Read More
Ferroglobe PLC has entered into a joint development agreement with BioSolar Inc to pursue opportunities in the lithium-ion battery market.Ferroglobe subsidiary Silicio Ferrosolar SLU - based in A Coruna, Spain - will collaborate with BioSolar to develop and market silicon anode materials for high-power, high-energy lithium-ion batteries, Ferroglobe announced."We are excited to partner with&nb...Read More
North China-based Ganglu Iron & Steel (Ganglu Steel) will keep back 100,000 tonnes of its hot-rolled coil from the spot marketeach month when it starts up a new 2 million tonnes per year cold-rolled coil line later this year.According to local media reports in Tangshan city, Hebei province, on Wednesday June 20, construction work for the CRC line will be completed this month and Ganglu Steel...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were largely stable on Wednesday June 20 with buyers coming to terms with their concerns over the brewing trade war between the world's two biggest economies.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,260-4,290 yuan ($658-663) per tonne, down 10 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,200-4,230 yuan per tonne, unchangedConcerns over the trade spat between China a...Read More
Brazilian flat steel producers have delayed part of a planned price increase in domestic prices, due to strong local competition and transportation problems in May, according to national flat steel association Inda. "Bookings made in May, at old prices, have been delayed due to transportation problems," Inda president Carlos Loureiro said on Tuesday June 19. Because of this, steelmakers made...Read More
Prices for rebar produced and delivered in southern Europe have narrowed downward by ?,?10 per tonne over the past week, sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday June 20.Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic rebar in southern Europe was ?,?475-490 ($550-568) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, down from ?,?475-500 per tonne one week earlier. The assessment includes offers and de...Read More
Domestic prices for mesh-quality wire rod produced and delivered in both Northern and Southern Europe are unchanged over the past week, sources said on Wednesday June 20.The Southern European domestic price for mesh-quality wire rod held at ?,?520-535 ($602-620) per tonne delivered on June 20 from a week earlier."Mills are looking to push prices up but this hasn't happened yet - the expectation is...Read More
Seaborne iron ore trading activity picked up on Wednesday June 20 with bids and trades for Brazilian fines at higher levels.Metal Bulletin 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $65.49 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.96 per tonneMetal Bulletin 58% Fe Premium Index: $53.61 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down $0.01 per tonneMetal Bulletin 65% Fe Iron Ore Index: $88.30 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up $1.50 per tonneMetal Bulletin...Read More
China's ferrous futures remained subdued during morning trading on Wednesday June 20, with the benchmark contracts ending the session largely unchanged from their opening after experiencing major losses a day earlier.Futures closing prices - morning sessionShanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,786 yuan ($585) per tonne, unchangedOctober hot-rolled coil: 3,880 yuan per tonne, up 6 yuan per ton...Read More
Sentiment in the CIS steel billet export market has cooled this week because buying activity has not bounced back as expected after last week's Ramadan and eid holidays.Some CIS mills were trying to push through higher prices, following reports of several CIS-origin cargoes being sold at $515-520 per tonne fob Black Sea last week, with higher scrap values in Turkey leading to a glob...Read More