In light of the recent turmoil in the oil market, the Fastmarkets research team has closely examined the correlations between the price of oil and the prices for ferrous scrap and finished steel products, to discover nuanced relationships and their changes over time.It is common for steel market participants to refer to high correlations between oil prices and the prices for scrap and steel. Among...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Price uptrend stumbles, but expected to resumeAs we expected, Chinese export and domestic steel prices moved upward in June, settling within the 2% range of our forecasts. Rebar prices trended downward in the second half of the month while heavy rains and floods in parts of the country meant that some construction sites had...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In previous reports, we noted that upside risks to our forecasts existed. These were based on Chinese steel production, and in turn alloy consumption, outperforming our expectations.Chinese crude steel production is rising each month in a year-on-year comparison, prompting our revised view that Chinese alloy consumption will...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.The Covid-19 pandemic and the associated impacts on steel production, mining and manufacturing activity, end-use consumption, and trade and transportation continue to dominate ferro-alloy markets. US steel mills are operating at around 50% of capacity, with similarly low operating rates evident in Europe as well. Chinese ste...Read More
Ferro-alloys prices have generally retreated over the past month, with demand concerns gaining in prominence.The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Ferro-alloy pricing trends have generally diverged ove the past month, depending on the security of the supply-side position of the market. With most supply concerns fading with the resumption of industrial activity i...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.This month's key ferro-alloy forecast highlights:While the ferro-alloy industry's initial response to the Covid-19 outbreak was marked by rising prices primarily in response to supply-side concerns, focus has now shifted somewhat. As Chinese activity slowly returns to more normal levels, for alloys with a strong Chinese prod...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Prolonged flooding in China could limit the use of construction steel and drag down demand for steel rebar in the short term, which in turn could damp the demand for iron ore. So far, it has been reported that steel mills in the affected regions have continued to operate as normal. The floods have, however, caused a few days...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.In a webinar we conducted on Asian ferro alloys, our research team discussed the Chinese authorities' announcing some major infrastructure investments that will increase demand for steel and steel raw materials, including iron ore. Our research shows that the recent infrastructure investment announcements are equal to about...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Judging by a recent webinar we conducted on Asian ferroalloys last week, many market participants believe the steel and steelmaking raw materials' world - outside of China - will record an 'L' shaped recovery, effectively failing to recover. With crude steel production outside of China falling close to a third in April and o...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are relatively stable this month, showing little change since our previous tracker. Such stability masks growing issues for stainless steelmakers, however, who are increasingly unable to pass on rising costs to consumers and are, thus, facing cuts to their margins.In general, this is due to an excess of...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices have fared relatively well over the past couple of months in the face of the threat from the Covid-19 pandemic.In grade-304 material, the most common grade of stainless steel, prices were down by about 5-7% since the turn of the year - not bad, when compared with the falls in prices of other assets so f...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Having first hit Asia during early 2020, the Covid-19 viral outbreak is now having an even bigger impact on European countries and the US. Widespread lockdown measures have been put in place on people and industry, and economic activity has slowed markedly.For now, stainless steel markets in Europe and the US are yet to show...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil moved up in Northern Europe in the week ended Friday July 17, supported by the continuing lack of competitive import offers.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, rose to ?,?407.53 ($465.65) per tonne on Friday, up by ?,?3.53 per tonne week on week, and up by ?,?17.53 per tonne month on month.Friday's index was based...Read More
Fastmarkets MB invited feedback from the industry in an open consultation process between June 19 and July 20 on the pricing methodology for its Northern Europe hot-rolled coil index as part of our annual methodology review process. Fastmarkets is gracious for all who took the time to respond to the consultation. Based on...Read More
Pan American Silver has suspended operations at its Huaron and Moracocha mines in Peru after several workers tested positive for Covid-19 there, the company said on July 20."Reduced workforces will conduct care and maintenance activities at Huaron and Morococha until it is determined that normal operations can safely resume," it said.The mines, which produce...Read More
Russian multi-metal miner Nornickel has pledged 20 billion roubles ($278,080,000) to fight the impact of Covid-19 across 2020, the company said on Friday July 17.The anti-pandemic financial package will aim to tackle the fallout of the virus for both Nornickel employees and local economies in regions where the company is operative.Fastmarkets understands that Russia's Arctic region and those worki...Read More
Chinese-Australian miner MMG has issued a profit warning for the first half of this year due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, the company said on Monday July 20.The copper and zinc miner expects a net loss of US$158 million for the first six months of 2020, compared to a net loss of US$81 million over the same period last year, a regulatory filing to Hong Kong bourse...Read More
Japan's Sumitomo Corp has suffered impairment losses of 55 billion yen ($513,705,000) from its investment in Madagascar's Ambatovy nickel and cobalt mine in its first financial quarter of 2020, the company said on Monday July 20.The conglomerate, which owns a majority 47.7% stake in the asset, now values Ambatovy at less than its carrying cost, and has subsequently written off a signific...Read More
The publication of Fastmarkets' assessment of the Japan aluminium 6063 extrusion quarterly billet premium, cif MJP for the third quarter of 2020 was delayed due to a reporter error.The aluminium 6063 extrusion quarterly billet premium, cif MJP, is a quarterly premium and is normally published on the third Friday of the first month of each quarter.The price should, therefore, have been publish...Read More