SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – The copper spot market in Shanghai was less active on Thursday March 7 than a day earlier with the red metal trading at a discount of 130-70 yuan/mt. As the SHFE copper edged down today with resistance at the five-day moving average, spot prices faced pressure with reluctant buyers.At noon, higher-grade copper traded at 51,720-51,800 yuan/mt, SMM learned. Fo...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – China's imports of unwrought copper and copper products in February stood at 352,000 mt, down 20% month on month while up 3.5% year on year, according to China Customs.The month-on-month drop was mainly due to the Chinese New Year holiday. However, losses made in copper imports last month also put a cap on the overall volumes.Imports for the first two months of th...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightThe base metals fell across the board as US dollar rebounded and as the trade war brews. SHFE aluminium and lead slid over 1%, copper dropped close to 1%, while LME lead lost over 2% and aluminium fell close to 2% to a three-month low.China's foreign-exchange reserves i...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 8 (SMM) –Copper: LME copper touched a low of $6,900/mt with resistance from moving averages. We expect it to trade at $6,900-6,970/mt and the SHFE 1805 contract to trade at 52,000-52,600 yuan/mt today. In the physical market, spot discounts are seen smaller at 100-40 yuan/mt. Aluminium: LME aluminium edged down overnight and is set to test support...Read More
In New York on Tuesday copper for delivery in May fell as much as 1.7% to $2.6080 per pound or $5,750 a tonne after a surge in warehouse stocks in Asia limiting the impact of supply disruptions at the world's biggest mines.Reuters reports copper inventories at facilities controlled by the LME unexpectedly jumped by almost 39,000 tonnes, the biggest inflow in more than a decade and reversing a...Read More
Investing.com - Gold prices struggled near three-week lows during European morning hours on Tuesday, amid growing expectations among traders that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its March policy meeting next week.Comex gold futures were steady at $1,225.35 a troy ounce by 3:20AM ET (08:20GMT). The precious metal fell to $1,223.00 on Friday, the lowest since February 15.Spot gold w...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 7 (SMM) – While SHFE aluminium fell 0.77% and tin and zinc edged down today, lead rose 0.67% as copper and nickel inched up.The ferrous complex fell across the board with hot-rolled coil slipping 2.4%. Coking coal dropped 2.3%, rebar went down 1.6%, and coke fell 1.5%. Iron ore edged down slightly.Copper: Support is seen at the five-day moving average during the today as SHFE c...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 7 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightMarkets were rattled following the resignation of White House economic advisor Gary Cohn. The US dollar declined and hovered at 89.4.Base metals saw mixed trading. SHFE tin edged down while nickel rose over 1%. LME nickel jumped close to 2%, copper rose almost 1% while...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 7 (SMM) – China’s banking regulator plans to cut the amount of funds that banks are required to set aside to cover loan losses in a bid to provide more liquidity to the market.In a circular released by China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) last week, commercial banks are required to reduce the provision coverage ratio to 120-150% and loan provision ratio to 1.5-2.5%...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 7 (SMM) –Copper: The support at the 40-day moving average, or 52,000 yuan/mt, remained for SHFE copper, while destocking in China helped the bullish sentiment somewhat. We expect copper prices to go up further with SHFE 1805 at 52,500-53,000 yuan/mt today and LME copper at $6,960-7,020/mt. Spot discounts are expected to be smaller as sellers continued to hold on to their cargoe...Read More
With 2016 being a year of rock bottom-of-cycle prices, many expected it to also be a good year for mining mergers and acquisitions (M&A).But while the number of deals made last year increased by a third from the year prior, to 477 deals in 2016, it's the low value of the M&A that stands out in EY's latest report, "Mergers, acquisitions and capital raisings in mining and metals - 2016 trends, 2017...Read More
In a case that appears to turn the logic of citizen actions against mine owners on its head, a group of Minnesota residents is suing the state and the Governor over a decision to revoke mineral leases.While disgruntled residents opposed to mines usually go to court to try to stop the mine, the legal case in the Midwestern state centres around whether the state government and Minnesota Gov. Mark...Read More
The head of China's second-largest copper refiner is sounding a bearish note on the red metal, even as the country is targetting higher economic growth.Interviewed by Bloomberg on Sunday, Jiangxi Copper Co. Chairman Li Baomin predicted copper will average 45,000 (US$6,524) to 46,000 (US$6,673) Chinese yuan per ton in 2017, down from an average 47,513 yuan (US$6,892), year to date. Chairman Li ci...Read More
Figure 1: Pure (99.9 %) cobalt chips, electrolytically refined. Source: Wikipedia image commonsBy Sam BroomYou've probably given little thought to a perennially overlooked metal called cobalt, even though chances are you're reading this very article on a device powered by a battery containing a significant proportion of the metal.I'm going to spend most of this article outlining an emerging narrat...Read More
Canada has decided to extend the Mineral Exploration Tax Credit, which was ending on March 31, for a full extra year, the country's natural resources minister announced Sunday evening.Speaking to media attending the 85th version of the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) International Convention in Toronto, minister Jim Carr said the 15% mineral exploration tax credit is inten...Read More
Investing.com - Gold prices were higher during European morning hours on Monday, starting the week off with gains as demand for safe-haven assets was boosted amid news of North Korea's firing of four ballistic missiles.Comex gold futures tacked on $6.95, or about 0.6%, to $1,233.45 a troy ounce by 3:15AM ET (08:15GMT). The precious metal fell to $1,223.00 on Friday, the lowest since February 15.Sp...Read More
SHANGHAI, Mar 6 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macro-economic news last night and what is expected today.Last nightWith the US dollar hovering around the 90 level as the trade war simmers, base metals saw mixed trading. SHFE aluminium inched up, LME copper and tin rose slightly, while both SHFE and LME zinc dropped some 2% due to the jump in inventories.The Sentix investor confidence in...Read More