U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 2 points in pre-opening trade.Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS $75.80) is expected to open higher after reporting higher than consensus fiscal fourth quarter earnings.Best Buy advanced $3.05 to $77.30 after reporting higher than consensus third quarter earnings. The company also raised guidance. Dick's Sporting Goods gained $5...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 7 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures responded to news on U.S./China trade negotiations confirming that China plans to increase penalties on Chinese companies that steel intellectual property.TDAmeritrade has agreed to its purchase by Schwab in an all-stock deal valued at $26 billion. Each TDAmeritrade will swa...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves from the past week.Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange consolidated at the close of trading on Friday November 22, with nickel futures notching a 1% rise over the day against sideways trading and moderate turnover generally. Nickel's outright price on the LME closed at $14,635 per tonne this afternoon, a climb of around 1% from Thursday's closing price of $14,505 per tonne, but an incline of just under 3...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves from the past week.Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday November 22. Japan and South Korea Imported high-carbon ferro-chrome prices in Japan and South Korea dropped by 0.7% and 1.4% respectively after lower offers emerged in a weak market. China UG2 chrome ore price held in China, with mainstream business...Read More
Japanese and Korean copper smelters are likely to follow the contract for 2020 treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) settled by Jiangxi Copper and miner Freeport, with major Chinese smelters also likely to accept the number."The benchmark number is the benchmark number. We should respect it," a source at one of the biggest Asian smelters said.Freeport agreed an annual TC/RCs deal for 2020 with J...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves from the past week.Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and their latest price moves.Read More
UK alloy steel scrap prices remained largely unchanged over the past seven days following a significant drop last week, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday November 22.Fastmarkets' price assessment for stainless steel scrap 316 solids domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?1,170-1,230 ($1,512-1,590) per tonne on November 22, compared with ?1,170-1,250 per tonne delivered a...Read More
Global scrap prices remained relatively stable due to a lull in trading during the working week ended Friday November 22, with the exceptions of the Indian market, which dipped, and Taiwan, where prices rose.Turkish steel mills slow pace of buying but prices hold steadyUS prices steady on pause in export activityIndian market dips on buying jittersPrices unchanged in VietnamTaiwan prices up on sol...Read More
The inter-merchant spot price for light iron scrap in the UK was stable in the week ended Friday November 22, with steady demand into domestic major shredders and solid business levels into Turkey from Europe cementing British prices, trade sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK, was unchanged at ?7...Read More
With confusing news over United States-China trade talks, the markets are unsettled this morning, Friday November 22; the path of least resistance for the metals is to the downside, but with prices already weak, support is being encountered.The release of flash purchasing managers' index (PMI) data on Friday will provide further insight into the state of global manufacturing.With gold prices weake...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves from the past week.Read More
The European Commission will consider early next year whether to add cadmium to the European Union's critical raw materials list, with the aim of encouraging production and recycling of this metal widely used in batteries, and hence potentially helping the EU economy move away from fossil fuels. Such a listing is designed to incentivize European production of a critical raw material that is in sho...Read More
South America caught up with the global steel price upturn in the week ended Friday November 22, with new formal import offers being made and some deals reported at prices at least $10 per tonne higher than the previous week.The sudden scarcity of offers from South Korea, India and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which had been low-cost suppliers for December shipments, was also prov...Read More
Turkish flat steel producers increased their prices again during the week ended Friday November 22 on increasing raw material costs, with demand strong because of low stock levels and the expectation that prices will increase more.Raw material prices, especially those for scrap, have increased recently.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel scrap, HMS 1&2 (80:20 mix), US origin, cfr Turkey, was $264.2...Read More
Turkish prices for hot-dipped galvanized coil (HDG) and color-coated coil, or pre-painted galvanized iron (PPGI), increased in the week to Friday November 22, with demand improving because of low stocks and the expectation that prices will rise further, sources told Fastmarkets.A rise in raw materials prices was the reason for the higher steel prices, they added.Fastmarkets' daily index for steel...Read More
Domestic rebar prices in Poland have risen over the past week, following an increase in domestic scrap prices in Europe, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel reinforcing bar (rebar), domestic, ex-works Poland, was 2,000-2,050 zloty ($515-528) per tonne on November 22 compared...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices dropped slightly on Friday November 22 - the first downward movement in 10 days - amid concerns over high production rates, though futures picked up. Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,070-4,100 yuan ($579-583) per tonne, down 10-20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,780-3,820 yuan per tonne, up 20-30 yuan per tonneTraders in eastern China cut prices slightly to genera...Read More