U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 16 points in pre-opening trades.Shopify added $14.30 to $627.94 after KeyBanc Capital raised its target price from $500 to $700.PayPal slipped $0.35 to$120.26 despite KeyBanc Capital raising its target price from $115 to $140.NVIDIA eased $2.40 to $280.38 despite Susquehanna raising its target price from $330 to $55.T...Read More
Brazil's Vale expects the price premium for high-grade iron ore fines to decrease in the second quarter compared with those in the first, with production in China resuming.Brazilian 65% Fe iron ore has been fetching around $20 per tonne more than reference prices for 62% Fe material. This difference is mainly due to supply issues, which reduced inventories in China, the mining major's executive di...Read More
A summary of Brazilian mining company Vale's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Pro forma adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by 26% year on year due to depreciation of Brazilian Real.Net income of $239 million, compared with a net loss of $1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Investments totaled $1.12 billion, up by...Read More
A summary of Latin American steel group Ternium's financial results for the first quarter of 2020.In brief Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) down by a third year on year due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Net loss of $19.40 million, compared with a net profit of $224.90 million in the first quarter of 2019. Higher sales volumes in Mexico, Te...Read More
The sharp decline in emerging market currencies combined with a collapse in oil prices are providing a twin saving grace for many metals and mining companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. For producers of energy-intensive metals like aluminium, and in particular the low-cost ones, the benefit is even greater. It's an emerging trend that is starting to be reflected in the earnings of corporates in...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: 'Sell the rally' mentality here to stayAlthough the London Metal Exchange aluminium price has managed to recover modestly from recent lows, we suspect this is mostly short-covering. The lack of producer restraint, growing exchange inventories, a weak demand outlook and the 7 million tonnes of oversupply forecast f...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
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
The London Metal Exchange three-month nickel price sank below$12,000 to close at $11,955 per tonne on Friday May 1, shedding 1.73% of its price after a low turnover of 3,207 lots traded.Base metals prices fell across the complex, with the LME three-month copper price falling 1.57% on Friday to close at $5,110 per tonne, despite a fresh cancellation of 6,600 tonnes across LME-registered wareho...Read More
The Fastmarkets copper concentrate treatment and refining charge (TC/RC) index dropped to its lowest level since the start of 2020 in the week ended Friday May 1. The benchmark index fell to $52.20 per tonne / 5.22 cents per lb on Friday, from $54.90 per tonne / 5.49 cents per lb a week ago. A Los Pelambres tender was awarded to a trader at TC/RCs in the low $40s per tonne during the week. Ahead o...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Shanghai, New York and Galway on Friday May 1.China China's domestic prices climbed on a more active spot market, with mills restocking ahead of the Labor Day holiday from May 1-5.Production costs for ferro-silicon will increase...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ended Friday May 1.China The rise in UG2 chrome ore prices slowed down after China's major stainless steel mills all raised their ferro-chrome tender prices by a lower-than-expected amount. The imported charge chrome price ticked upward by $0.01 per tonne on improving sentiment and with availability of material f...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the session ending Friday May 1. China Low-grade seaborne manganese ore retreated after last week's jump, hit by disappointing alloy tender prices, softening local alloys futures prices and a weakening ferrous sector. The seaborne 44% index...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
The price of containerized ferrous scrap imports into India slumped further this week due to the continued lack of trading under the lockdown conditions in the country, as well as a drop in the global scrap markets, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday May 1.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $259.38 per tonne on Friday, down from $269.13 per...Read More
The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market ended the week with a lower-priced deal coming to light on Friday May 1, in line with market expectations for the direction of prices, sources told Fastmarkets.News of the cargo came to light late on Thursday, with a steel mill in the Iskenderun region buying a European cargo comprising 17,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $236 per tonne cfr, and 7...Read More
The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the UK has edged up over the past week, climbing by ?5 ($6) per tonne amid increased competition among some major shredders for feed, while a slowdown in export markets has limited stronger advances, sources said on Friday May 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, wa...Read More
The sharp decline in emerging market currencies combined with a collapse in oil prices are providing a twin saving grace for many metals and mining companies during the Covid-19 pandemic. For producers of energy-intensive metals like aluminium, and in particular the low-cost ones, the benefit is even greater. It's an emerging trend that is starting to be reflected in the earnings of corporates in...Read More