Gold futures on Tuesday settled in negative territory, giving back the bulk of gains from a day earlier that landed the metal at its highest finish in about a month. Stocks and other assets perceived as risky regained some footing higher on the session, dulling the appeal of the haven metal. April gold GCJ9, -0.05% on Comex declined by $7.60, or 0.6%, to settle at $1,315 an ounce. The contract r...Read More

Analysts at Morgan Stanley offer their outlook on Gold, noting that they have turned more neutral on the yellow metal. Key Quotes: “Turned 'more neutral' on gold, citing the Fed's policy baked in. Now bullish on silver on an expected recovery in industrial demand later in 2019. Gold prices seen at USD 1290/oz in Q2 2019, 1300 in Q3 and 1350 in Q4. Further reason cited: The b...Read More

Haven gold pushed higher again Monday to tally its best finish in about a month, as financial markets kept attention fixed on global growth fears and as a recessionary alarm persisted in the bond market. Bonds rose on Monday after Friday's action marked the first U.S. Treasury yield curve inversion since 2007, feeding concerns around this oft-referenced recession signal. As such, U.S. stocks moved...Read More

Jiangxi Copper Co., one of China's top producers, said on Wednesday 2018 net profit rose 52.4 percent year on year as a hedging gain boosted its bottom line in a poor year for the metal used in manufacturing and construction.The Nanchang-based company, which in January flagged an expected increase in annual profit of around 50 percent, posted net income of 2.45 billion yuan for last year, up from...Read More

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), a London-based industry group representing 27 major companies, said Wednesday it was working with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and ethical investors to devise global standards for tailings dams.The initiative is in response to the recent tragedy at Vale's Corrego do Feij??o mine in Brazil, where a tailings collapsed in Janua...Read More

The western Canadian Province of British Columbia approved a 5-year extension of Seabridge Gold's (TSX: SEA) (NYSE: SA) Environmental Assessment certificate for the KSM project, which has been described as one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in the world, measured by reserves.Located in north-western British Columbia, KSM has proven and probable reserves of 38.2 million ounces of gold a...Read More

A World Health Organization study shows that over 35% of the gold mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are at risk of being affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the country, which is the world's top cobalt producer and a significant copper and gold producer. The DRC generates more than 60% of the world's cobalt, a key material for making the batteries that power electric cars.Barr...Read More

The European price of mesh-quality wire rod stayed flat on Wednesday March 27, while producers remained confident that prices would improve soon on the basis of solid fundamentals.Fastmarkets' weekly domestic price assessments for mesh-quality wire rod for both Northern and Southern Europe stayed at ?,?535-550 ($604-621) per tonne delivered on Wednesday, with another very quiet week...Read More

Gold's net bullish positions increased for the first time in three weeks. Positions remain in bullish territory for the eighteenth straight week. Gold speculators increased their bullish net positions in the week ended March 19, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data released on Friday showed.  The non-commercial futures contracts of Gold futures, traded by large spec...Read More

An overview of the noble alloys markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday March 27 that are worth another look.The new London Metal Exchange cash-settled alumina contract will help the exchange to retain its top spot as the global reference for the aluminium industry, according to LME business development analyst Antonio Masiero. While the market moves away from pricing alumina as a percentage of th...Read More

Spent lead-acid battery prices have risen slightly in the United States, reaching a more than four-month high due to sustained domestic and offshore demand, along with tighter supply."Demand from the battery sector is off slightly from the mid-winter period but most plants seem to be operating at a good level," one US buyer source said. "[Flows of] scrap batteries have slowed a bit so prices...Read More

The alumina market could move into a surplus once Norsk Hydro's Alunorte refinery in Brazil increases its capacity and market tightness is alleviated, according to research by Fastmarkets analysts.The refinery, in Brazil's northern state of Par??, has been operating at 50% of its annual capacity since March 2018 due to environmental issues, but could reach 75-80% of capacity within two months of r...Read More

March 27, 2019Toronto, Ontario (March 27, 2019) - Mega Uranium Ltd. (TSX: MGA) announces the results of its annual and special shareholder meeting held earlier today. Each of the nominees listed below was elected as a director by a show of hands of the majority of shareholders. The results of the shares voted in person or by proxy in respect of the election of each director are:NomineeShares V...Read More

The new London Metal Exchange cash-settled alumina contract will help the exchange to retain its top spot as the global reference for the aluminium industry, according to LME business development analyst Antonio Masiero.Speaking at the Fastmarkets Bauxite & Alumina Conference in Miami on Wednesday March 27, Masiero said that, while the market moves away from pricing alumina as a percentage of the...Read More

India will need to produce or import of 60 million tonnes per year of bauxite by 2030 to meet its aluminium needs, an executive at the International Bauxite, Alumina and Alumininium Society (IBAAS) said during Fastmarkets' 25th Bauxite & Alumina conference in Miami on Wednesday March 27. Domestic Indian production will be dependent on the availability of other raw materials such as caustic soda an...Read More

Improving end-user demand boosted the US premium for 4x4 nickel cut cathode in the week ended Tuesday March 26, but European market participants were bearish leading to a flat market, and China was quiet due to a closed import window. US cut cathode premium moves up again European traders deterred by LME nickel contango China's trade mostly domestic, partly to avail of recent tax cuts U...Read More

RAPAPORT... A fancy-intense-blue diamond ring with an estimate of $2.5million to $3 million is on track to be the top seller at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels auction in NewYork next month. The cut-cornered square modified brilliant-cut, 3.24-caratstone, flanked by two pear-shaped diamonds, will go under the hammer at the April17 sale, Sotheby's said Wednesday. Other notable pieces include a p...Read More

The price for rebar produced and delivered in Southern Europe remained flat on Wednesday March 27, while export prices narrowed higher on business toward the top of the range.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for export rebar in Southern Europe narrowed upward to ?,?470-490 ($531-554) per tonne fob main ports on Wednesday from ?,?460-490 per tonne previously, while the price assessment for dome...Read More

Domestic prices for hollow steel sections in Northern Europe narrowed this week, while market participants failed to agree on the likely future direction of prices, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday March 27.Fastmarkets' domestic price assessment for commodity-size, grade-S235 square hollow sections made in Northern Europe narrowed by ?,?5 per tonne at the low end of the range o...Read More