Bull market in sight after another outage at Port Pirie At their recent highs, lead prices had rallied 19.4% from the May lows. A 20% rally is generally thought of as indicating a bull market is underway, so we wait to see if lead can move above the $2,129 per tonne level to show a 20% rise. News of another production halt at Port Pirie this week has prompted fresh buying – the earlier halt,...Read More
Our focus this week is rounding up the main Q2 production results published this reporting season. Although some big target misses have made the headlines and helped to fuel the price rally, production disappointments are not the whole story, especially if we look at producers who don’t publish their results in the public domain. (Q2 comparisons are year on year unless otherwise stated.) Norn...Read More
The purge continues LME tin continues to trade poorly relative to its peers, suggesting that the purge of the overly long position held by speculative funds is not done yet. It is interesting to notice that only tin and zinc, for which money managers are relatively the most bullish among the complex posted a loss last week. Once the purge is over, however, we believe that tin prices are likely to...Read More
Zinc price extend to fresh lows Zinc prices came under increasing downside pressure across the past week, reflecting risk-off sentiment across wider markets. The LME three-month price has extended to a fresh multi-month low of $2,230.50 per tonne on Monday, August 12, the lowest since October 2016. Zinc demand may be set for seasonal up tick... At the same time, however, stock flows support our vi...Read More
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Click here to download the Selected Demand IndicatorsACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the lat...Read More
The economic and geopolitical clouds are getting more widespread and darker with unrest in Hong Kong and debt default concerns in Argentina adding to market concerns that are already stressed by the continuing US-China trade dispute, poor global economic data, stalemate over Iran and the potential for a hard Brexit. Gold has pushed up to another fresh multi-year high on Tuesday August 13, of ...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 5 points in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of the July U.S. Consumer Price Index at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 0.3% versus a gain of 0.1% in June. Actual was an increase of 0.3%. Excluding food and energy, consensus was an increase of 0.2% versus a gain of 0.3...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday August 9 that are worth another look.China launched a consultation paper on Friday August 9 to implement a stricter arsenic threshold on copper concentrates imports, a move that could lead to drastic changes in global trade flow of high-impurity concentrates and a further premium on treatment charges of clean concentrates.We...Read More
Prices for steel billet were steady or moved downward in most regions over the week ended Friday August 9 because of reduced prices for iron ore and long steel products, after a rise in the political and trading tensions between China and the United States affected most of the world's ferrous markets.The markets were also affected by the devaluation of the yuan. The Chinese currency broke the leve...Read More
Prices for steel billet were steady or moved downward in most regions over the week ended Friday August 9 because of reduced prices for iron ore and long steel products, after a rise in the political and trading tensions between China and the United States affected most of the world's ferrous markets.The markets were also affected by the devaluation of the yuan. The Chinese currency broke the leve...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday August 9 that are worth another look.China launched a consultation paper on Friday August 9 to implement a stricter arsenic threshold on copper concentrates imports, a move that could lead to drastic changes in global trade flow of high-impurity concentrates and a further premium on treatment charges of clean concentrates.We...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday August 9 that are worth another look.China launched a consultation paper on Friday August 9 to implement a stricter arsenic threshold on copper concentrates imports, a move that could lead to drastic changes in global trade flow of high-impurity concentrates and a further premium on treatment charges of clean concentrates.We...Read More
Under the cloud of the continuing US/China trade dispute, which has no end in sight and is weighing on global economic activity, market sentiment is subdued. But numerous events are buffeting prices - with nickel supported by short-covering and fresh buying against concerns about present and future supplies, while copper mine supplies may be affected by strikes at ports in Peru. Zinc and tin, rema...Read More
U.S. equity index futures moved lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 16 points in pre-opening trade. Index futures responded partially to a decline in second half earnings estimates for S&P 500 companies by Goldman Sachs and Citigroup due to possible impact of a trade war between the U.S. and China.Canfor (CFP $8.80) is expected to open higher after Jim Pattison's company offered...Read More
Weak demand and bearish macroeconomic factors continued to pressure primary aluminium foundry alloy premiums lower in Europe and the United States on Friday August 9.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium wheel alloy silicon 7 ingot premium ddp Germany at $335-355 per tonne on Friday, down from $340-355 per tonne on July 11. The premium fell for the second straight month, with market participants...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Zinc's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange fell by 3% at the close of trading on Friday August 9, dropping its lowest price September 2016, while nickel futures held at newly elevated levels despite a 1.6% decline (over the day?). Turnover across the exchange was fairly light over the day's trading, with nickel volumes leading the complex at just over 10,500 lots exchanged by the close....Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in China, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday August 9. China UG2 chrome ore prices ticked down, breaking a four-week rally, after depreciation of the yuan against the dollar raised the cost of importing material. The charge chrome market was stable for the sixth consecutive week amid limited activity. ...Read More
Treatment and refining charges for spot copper concentrates trended lower still early in August, with traders placing sharp bids on tendered cargoes and smelters amid continued port disruptions in Peru.The Fastmarkets copper concentrate TC/RC index basis cif Asia Pacific dropped to $49.8 per tonne/ 4.98 cents per lb on August 9 from $50.4/5.04 cents a week ago. The latest value is another record l...Read More