Glencore chief executive officer Ivan Glasenberg is said to be planning to retire from the commodities trader and miner in three to five years, and has even begun training a small group of front runners to take over the post.Glasenberg (62), whose strategic brilliance has made Glencore's - and his own - prodigious fortune, is coaching three to four people to succeed him in the job, Bloomberg repo...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday October 23.Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were higher across the board by the close of trading on Monday October 22, with prices elevated despite a slightly weaker stock market opening in the United States and a strong US dollar index. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the close...Read More
Production by Brazilian steelmakers increased by 2.5% year-on-year in September 2018, while national apparent consumption rose by 3.2% in the same month, according to figures published by local steel association A??o Brasil on Friday October 19.The data showed that crude steel output was 3.03 million tonnes during the month, up from 2.96 million tonnes in the corresponding month last year. Rolled...Read More
Water levels in the Rhine and its canals system are at critically low levels, which may mean that steel - especially rebar - and other freight deliveries intending to ship on that route in the coming weeks and months may need to find other delivery options at greater cost.The hot summer earlier this year has given way to continued unseasonably warm and dry conditions - water depths along the Rhine...Read More
The most prominent characteristic of gold pricing has been its narrow and tightly defined trading range. On October 11, gold gained over $30 in trading, breaking above key levels of resistance. These resistance levels began at $1,200, a key psychological level, the 50-day moving average which was at $1,204, and finally the 0.618% retracement level at $1,217.60. From there, gold prices began to tra...Read More
(Kitco News) - Although gold is one of the top traded assets in the world when compared to other markets like U.S. bonds or foreign exchange, it is hugely inefficient, but one fund manager thinks this is going to change. Peter Grosskopf, CEO of Sprott More than a decade ago exchange-traded products revolutionized the gold market, and the yellow metal is on the cusp of a new digital revolution,...Read More
(Kitco News) - Interest in gold as a portfolio hedge is coming back this fall, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) strategists projecting to see another short-covering rally in the near future.BAML’s positive gold outlook is based on extreme short positioning in gold futures, weaker U.S. dollar forecasts, and investors’ increased demand for a portfolio hedge, the bank’s str...Read More
CIS steel billet suppliers continued to seek support in the markets of Southeast Asia in the second half of October, with customers' interest in imported billet in the Middle East-North Africa (Mena) region remaining low while the finished long steel market is subdued.Offers of CIS-origin billet varied mainly within the range of $460-470 per tonne fob Black Sea, market participants told Fastmarket...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are moderately lower in early-afternoon U.S. trading Monday, pressured by a return of trader and investor risk appetite to the world marketplace to start the trading week—despite some potentially disruptive elements that still loom over the stock and financial markets. A stronger U.S. dollar index on this day also worked against the precious metals markets. Decembe...Read More
The latest metal markets news and price moves to start the North American day on Monday October 22. Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly higher during morning trading on Monday October 22, buoyed by a sharp uptick in Chinese stock markets, while a sizeable fresh cancelation in LME aluminium stock provided upward momentum for the light metal.Appreciating by just...Read More
Import prices for re-rolling-grade hot-rolled coil in Vietnam dipped further over the past week on persistently thin demand among re-rollers.The Fastmarkets MB weekly import price assessment for HRC in Southeast Asia - which mainly looks at Chinese 2-3mm SAE1006 HRC and equivalent grades sold into Vietnam - was $560-565 per tonne cfr for the week ending Monday October 22, down $5-10 per tonne from...Read More
Image: freemind-production/Shutterstock.com (Kitco News) - Sotheby’s gold auction that featured a gold Ferrari and a gold Kate Moss sculpture among other items collected a total of $3.9 million in sales.The first ever gold auction, titled ‘The Midas Touch,’ was organized due to rising demand for the precious metal, according to Sotheby’s. The exclusive event was held O...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are holding moderate losses and have slightly extended overnight declines, as midday approaches. The U.S. dollar index has moved to its daily high, which has added some downside pressure on the gold and silver markets.However, losses in gold are being somewhat limited by ongoing concerns about the health of the U.S. stock market following recent selling pressure that did...Read More
(Kitco News) - Large speculators cut their net-bearish positioning by more than half during the most recent reporting week for data compiled by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.During the week-long period to Oct. 16 covered by the data, Comex December gold rose by $39.50 to $1,231 an ounce, while December silver climbed 30.1 cents to $14.701.BMO Capital Markets said gold prices rallied on...Read More
Chilean lithium producer Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) sold 15% less lithium carbonate quarter-on-quarter in July-September 2018, it said in an announcement preceding its third-quarter earnings statement.A delay to the ramp-up process at SQM's lithium operations at Antofagasta in Chile, and logistical challenges created by low inventory levels, were the core reasons behind the reduced v...Read More
Spot gold remains above chart support that starts around $1,220 an ounce, says MKS (Switzerland) S.A. “Trade concerns between the U.S. and China remain elevated and the ongoing U.S.-Saudi tensions are likely to continue to underpin a bid tone for bullion over the near term,” MKS says. “Supportive price action around $1,210-$1,220 should restrict declines amid current global polit...Read More
The latest ferro-tungsten and ammonium paratungstate (APT) transactions, bids, offers and assessments in Europe, Vietnam and China, with blue tungsten oxide (BTO) and yellow tungsten oxide (YTO) deals taken into consideration.To view the latest price quotations, follow the links below:China- APT, fob China- Ferro-tungsten, fob China Europe- APT, cif Rotterdam - Ferro-tungsten, in-warehou...Read More
The ammonium paratungstate (APT) price edged up in Europe at the end of last week, credited to a pick-up in spot activity and amid talks of another round of environmental inspections in China that could take supply out of the market. Fastmarkets' APT quotation in Europe moved up for the first time since June Concentrate prices edge up slightly; market awaits clearer direction Ferro-tung...Read More
A sudden reduction in published estimates of chrome ore stock in China has contributed to a recovery in prices for the steel-making raw material since September after earlier high estimates had weighed on prices, market sources told Fastmarkets MB.Published Chinese chrome ore stock estimates from Chinese price reporting agency Ferroalloynet have dropped below the 3 million tonnes reported late in...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 12 points in pre-opening trade. Futures are responding to a 4.09% increase in the Shanghai Composite Index last night.The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at U.S.76.35 cents following release of August Canadian Wholesale Sales at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 0.2% versus a gain of 1.5% in July. Actua...Read More