The AOCE and WB have moderate overall forecasts for the metals in 2025 inline with IMF forecasts for a decline in economic growth and inflation, although we see the probability of a stagflationary scenario as still reasonably high.Read More

The past year was a difficult one overall for the metals, with the main standouts to the upside being a geopolitical risk-driven gain in gold, a China-driven rise in iron ore and a surge in uranium on broadening global support for nuclear power (Figure 1). A jump in global interest rates to near two-decade highs saw recession fears persist all year, and while one still did not actually eru...Read More

This year the post-global health crisis boom was brought to an end by a surge in inflation to forty-year highs, a major rise in global interest rates in an attempt to curb the rising prices and surging geopolitical risk after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. While precious metals held up reasonably well as markets turned to them as a risk hedge, by Q2/22 the higher interest rates put an end t...Read More

Chile is the world leader in copper production, at 28.5% of the total in 2020, and this looks set to continue, with the country having the largest global reserves, at 23.0% of total. It is also the global leader for molybdenum, which is often found along with copper, and is a major lithium player, holding 51.1% of global reserves. Read More

Newfoundland has become a gold exploration hotspot over the past few years, with the sector seeing some of its strongest activity ever. While the province remains a small contributor to Canadian gold production, it has a substantial mineral industry well supported by the government, focused on iron ore, copper and nickel, and the surge in exploration suggests that gold output from the...Read More

Nevada is the core of the U.S. gold output, accounting for by far the majority, at 75.4% on average for the past year. The state looks set to remain a dominant player in U.S. gold, as it accounts for 49% of total U.S. reserves, with Alaska slightly ahead with 51% of reserves, but just 8.6% of current production. The U.S. accounts for 6.1% of global gold output, making Nevada one of the largest gol...Read More

The Golden Triangle in northwestern British Columbia has historically been a major site of Canadian gold production, beginning as early as the mid 1800s. There was a wave of production in the 1990s which cooled as the gold price declined, but larger scale production resumed in 2017, and the area has seen surging exploration interest over the past year, given that the region has some of the largest...Read More

In this report we outline the Quebec gold mining industry, including its major producers, and a survey of many of the junior miners focused on the province. Quebec accounts for 34% of Canadian gold production (second to Ontario, with 44%) and remains a major focus for both producers and junior miners.Read More

Red Lake has been one of the most prolific gold mining districts in Canada and the world, with exploration having started in the 1920s, and production, which began in the 1930s, continuing to the present day. The district is known for the high grade of its gold, its infrastructure, and strong institutional support, given the long history of mining in the area.Read More

Newfoundland-headquartered gold junior Aurion Resources' (TSX-V: AU) stock soared over 27% on Tuesday after reporting new high-grade assay results from drilling at the Aamurusko prospect on its Risti project in northern Finland.Two of the first three drillholes intersected high-grade gold mineralization near surface, with 42.28 g/t Au over 4.00 m intersected in one drillhole and 24.50 g/t Au o...Read More

Newfoundland-headquartered gold junior Aurion Resources' (TSX-V: AU) stock soared over 27% on Tuesday after reporting new high-grade assay results from drilling at the Aamurusko prospect on its Risti project in northern Finland.Two of the first three drillholes intersected high-grade gold mineralization near surface, with 42.28 g/t Au over 4.00 m intersected in one drillhole and 24.50 g/t Au o...Read More

In December President Trump pounded out a tweet that raised a lot of eyebrows in the Twitterverse. It had to do with America's defense spending, perceived by Trump to be much too high. He wrote:Didn't Trump campaign on a stronger military, to crack down on ISIS? To make America safer again? He did, and so the head-scratching began. It was especially odd considering that Trump signed off on a HUGE...Read More

Wells Fargo stock has encountered multi-layered resistance latelyFinancial firm Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) rallied off its late-December multi-year lows only to run into a ceiling at the round $50 mark -- a previous level of support throughout most of 2017 and 2018. This region is also home to WFC's 80-day moving average, and resistance could further be reinforced by a heavy accumulation of call open...Read More

Amyris disclosed a cannabinoid partnershipBiotechnology stock Amyris Inc (NASDAQ:AMRS) is near the top of the Nasdaq today, after the company announced a big weed deal. Specifically, Amyrissaid it's partnering with an undisclosed party in a cannabinoid development, licensing, and commercialization plan valued at as much a $255 million. AMRN stock was up 39.1% at $4.40, at last check, and is pacing...Read More

Even those who don't follow mining or invest in it could probably tell you that a global energy transition will mean the world is going to need a lot more copper.B.C. is Canada's largest copper producer, with six operating mines and a couple of dozen projects at the early or late exploration stage that could become new mines one day.So is copper golden in BC?Judging by presentations made last week...Read More

Executives, investors and government officials meet in Cape Town this week at the African Mining Indaba, the continent's biggest gathering of one of its most essential industries.The gold sector is a hot topic this year, after two giant deals reignited interest in bullion producers, prompting speculation over who might be next. Tailings dams are also in the spotlight, after Vale SA's disaster in B...Read More

The Nasdaq is higher despite a down day from Alphabet (GOOGL)The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is confidently higher at midday, up triple digits thanks to a fresh batch of upbeat corporate earnings.The S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) are firmly in the black, too, with the latter shaking off rising cost concerns from Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL). Investors are also gearin...Read More

The S&P sank in the days after last year's speechSo far it's been a solid year for U.S. stocks, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) just wrapping up impressive six-week win streaks. While we're now in the thick of earnings seasons, investors tonight will be focusing in on President Donald Trump's second State of the Union speech. Some traders may use the occasi...Read More

Vale SA said it's temporarily halting some operations at its Brucutu mine, potentially causing a production loss of about 30 million metric tons of iron ore a year - a move that an analyst said could cause "incremental supply shock." Iron ore in Singapore climbed.The move is in compliance with a Brazilian court order issued to help improve safety after one of Vale's tailings dam in Minas Gerais st...Read More

* April-Dec net profit grows 6 pct y/y to record 442 bln yen* Books impairment losses on Olam, Chilean iron ore mines* Keeps full-year profit forecast of record 640 bln yenJapan's biggest trading house Mitsubishi Corp on Tuesday posted a 6 percent rise in its April-December net profit thanks to higher income from energy operations, and stuck to its record profit forecast for the year despite one-o...Read More

MRK stock is eyeing its best win streak in at least a yearMerck & Co, Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is trying to extend its hot streak today, trading up 1.7% early on at $78.16, setting it up for a sixth straight daily win -- its best in at least a year. Traders are responding to a note out of BofA-Merrill Lynch that named MRK stock as the firm's top pick out of the pharma sector. The analyst note predicted mor...Read More

A report commissioned by Brazilian miner Vale SA last year to look into the stability of the tailings dam that ruptured Jan. 25 certified it as sound but raised concerns over its drainage and monitoring systems, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on Tuesday.The report by German-based T?oeV S?oeD, which Folha said it had access to, made 17 recommendations aimed at improving the stability of the s...Read More

The makeup company also upped its full-year guidanceThe shares of Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL) are up 11.8% at $152.21, after the cosmetics concern reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that beat analysts' expectations. The company said growing revenue in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as strong holiday sales, were catalysts for the earnings surprise. As a result, Estee Lauder lifted i...Read More

Deutsche Bank sees increasing competition from store brandsThe shares of Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) are 0.4% lower to trade at $47.53 this morning, after Deutsche Bank downgraded the food concern to "hold" from "buy," while trimming its price target to $52 from $58. The analyst in coverage noted that increased efforts from store brands have taken a share of Kraft Heinz's major categories. Kraf...Read More

Record palladium prices and a weaker rand are lifting the gloom enveloping South Africa's platinum industry.For South African producers, the rally in palladium is partially offsetting the slump in platinum prices to near a decade low. Combined with a decline in the rand, which lowers costs for miners selling metal for dollars, that's extending a lifeline to companies such as Impala Platinum Holdin...Read More

The State of the Union will be in focus tonightU.S. stock futures are modestly higher this morning, though the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) is lagging its peers amid concerns about rising costs for Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) after last night's quarterly report. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trading above fair value ahead of earnings from blue chip Walt Disney (DIS) tonight, and trad...Read More

Carmakers may have to consider investing directly in cobalt mines to secure supply over the next three to five years, as demand for the metal used in rechargeable batteries is set to increase exponentially, Ford Motor Co. senior manager for energy storage strategy and research Ted Miller believes.Speaking at a mining industry event in South Africa, Miller said the auto industry is now in an "awkwa...Read More

Brucutu, which has an annual capacity of 30 million tonnes of iron ore, is Brazil's second largest mine, behind Vale's Caraj??s.Read full newsRead More

A report made public today by Rapaport reveals that polished-diamond prices softened in January, with 1-carat stones falling by 0.4% last month and 1.8% compared to January 2018, while 3-carat gems fell by 1.8% last month and 5.9% compared to last year.Smaller diamonds saw a less steep decline in prices as 0.5-carat rocks fell by 0.3% in January 2019 and 0.1% when compared to last year, and 0.3-ca...Read More