The markets remain in limbo this morning, Friday September 20, while they wait for any news from the initial talks that are underway between deputy trade negotiators in the United States.With the US, Europe and China all showing they are prepared to ease monetary policy and with some signs of slightly better economic data, the markets seem a little less nervous and with that prices are managing to...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 5 points in pre-opening tradeThe Canadian Dollar slipped 0.12 to U.S. 75.25 cents following release of Canada's July Retail Sales report. Consensus was an increase of 0.6% versus a revised slip of 0.1% in June. Actual was an increase of 0.4%Micron added $0.39 to $50.21 after JP Morgan raised its target price to $65 fro...Read More
The three-month nickel price on the London Metal Exchange was higher at the close of trading on Wednesday September 18, with the price breaching the nearby resistance value amid low trading volumes, while the rest of the base-metals complex continued to consolidate.Nickel futures closed at $17,200 per tonne in the afternoon, climbing by more than 1% from an intraday low of $16,970 per tonne, while...Read More
A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday September 18.Please click...Read More
Nickel premiums fell in Europe and Asia while in the United States the 4x4 rate held steady, reflecting a lack of trade, but the premium on briquette - the more liquid form - fell. Europe briquettes, full-plate and cut-cathode premiums fall while stocks balloon at LME-listed warehousesChinese premiums weaken against backdrop of LME backwardation, lack of arbitrage opportunities US buyers remain on...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday September 18 that are worth another look.The global nickel supply deficit will shrink in 2020 despite the implementation of the latest Indonesian ore export ban, according to Denis Sharypin, head of commodity market research for Russian multi-metal miner Nornickel.The London Metal Exchange will give members incentives to trade...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will give members incentives to trade cash-settled futures contracts as well as those for precious and ferrous metals. With the aim of encouraging burgeoning futures markets for the likes of cobalt, alumina and steel scrap, the exchange has devoted a pot of $2 million to subsidize category I and II members trading the contracts that were launched over the last five years,...Read More
South African manganese miner Kalagadi Manganese has signed a 3 billion rand ($203.8 million) five-year contract with Transnet for the transportation of 3 million tonnes per year of sinter manganese for export, both parties said on Monday September 16. The contract follows 12 years of discussion between Transnet and Kalagadi, which started development of its project, a mine and sinter plant, 19 ye...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will give members incentives to trade cash-settled futures contracts as well as those for precious and ferrous metals. With the aim of encouraging burgeoning futures markets for the likes of cobalt, alumina and steel scrap, the exchange has devoted a pot of $2 million to subsidize category I and II members trading the contracts that were launched over the last five years,...Read More
The London Metal Exchange will give members incentives to trade cash-settled futures contracts as well as those for precious and ferrous metals. With the aim of encouraging burgeoning futures markets for the likes of cobalt, alumina and steel scrap, the exchange has devoted a pot of $2 million to subsidize category I and II members trading the contracts that were launched over the last five years,...Read More
Scrap suppliers succumbed to lower bids from Turkish steel mills and deep-sea scrap import prices have fallen by almost $10 per tonne in the latest transactions as a result, sources said on Wednesday September 18.A UK supplier sold two cargoes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) to two Turkish steel mills in the Iskenderun region at $228 per tonne cfr - one of 17,000 tonnes and the other 20,000 tonn...Read More
There are no signs of ferrous scrap import prices bottoming out in Asia any time soon, sources told Fastmarkets this week."Ferrous scrap prices in Asia are trapped in a bottomless pit," a source at a Japanese scrapyard said on Wednesday September 18. "It seems like there is no end to the price falls."Sellers have continued to offer lower prices this week into major import markets, with key pr...Read More
The markets were in limbo this morning, Wednesday September 18, while they wait for developments on trade talks, the direction of oil prices and the outcome of this evening's US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting and rate decision.Once again the recent show of strength in most of the metals has run into resistance, suggesting confidence is not strong enough to chase prices higher and tha...Read More
Ahead of Fastmarkets' Battery Materials Europe conference in Amsterdam, find out what our industry experts think are the key drivers in the market and what's on the horizon. Fastmarkets will host a free web seminar on Wednesday September 18 at 3pm London time to discuss recent market moves in the battery raw materials sector. Click here to register for the webinar. Date Wednesday September 18, 201...Read More
Market sources expected that domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Europe will continue to decline due to persisting poor demand and mounting pressure from reductions in import offer prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 18.Suppliers from Turkey and India have been active in the European market to compensate for the lack of buyer activity in their other traditional markets...Read More
Brazilian import volumes of flat and long steel displayed opposite tendencies in August, according to figures from the country's economy ministry published last week.Import volumes of flat steel declined year on year by 11.29% to 95,116 tonnes in the month, from 107,216 tonnes, mostly because of lower volumes imported from China.Imports of flat steel from China fell to 41,950 tonnes in August 2019...Read More
Prices for industrial-quality, low-carbon wire rod tumbled in the United States for the eighth consecutive month after input costs fell and distributors avoided buying for stock. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US fell to $30-31 per hundredweight ($600-620 per short ton) on Tuesday September 17 from $31.50-32.50 per cwt on Tuesday Aug...Read More
The price of wire rod delivered in the Southern European market went down this week amid slow trading, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday September 18.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price of steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?470-490 ($519-541) per tonne on Wednesday, down by ?,?10 per tonne from the week...Read More
The price of rebar exported from Southern European ports decreased this week because of weak demand and competition with Turkish material, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday September 18.Global demand for rebar was down, sources said, on macroeconomic concerns driven by factors such as the UK's intended departure from the EU ("Brexit") and the global trade war.But countries in the region were s...Read More
Scrap suppliers succumbed to lower bids from Turkish steel mills and deep-sea scrap import prices have fallen by almost $10 per tonne in the latest transactions as a result, sources said on Wednesday September 18.A UK supplier sold two cargoes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) to two Turkish steel mills in the Iskenderun region at $228 per tonne cfr - one of 17,000 tonnes and the other 20,000 tonn...Read More