Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) in Europe have decreased over the past week due to poor demand, market sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Buying activity has continued, however, but subject to limited demand from end-users and sufficient stocks held by buyers."Market activity is almost non-existent, and the situation is not going to change because in August the mills will go o...Read More
Domestic prices for heavy steel plate across Europe have decreased over the past week due to limited trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel, domestic, plate 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was ?,?500-520 ($560-583) per tonne ex-works on July 10, compared with ?,?515-525 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The assessment reflected d...Read More
The price of mesh-quality wire rod in Southern Europe has fallen by ?,?10-30 ($11-34) per tonne week on week, because mills in Italy and Spain lowered their offers ahead of the summer slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price of steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?470-500 ($527-560) per tonne on Wednesday, do...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 10 that are worth another look.Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar has shut down after years of financial struggle. Copper-zinc miner Hudbay has appointed former Nevsun chief executive officer Peter Kukielski to take over as its interim CEO after longstanding executive Alan Hair stepped down from the post....Read More
Gold is off to a weak start to July caused by less dovish Fed expectations after the June jobs report.Speculators lifted their net long position in Comex gold for a fifth straight week over June 25-July 2.ETF investors bought gold at a modest pace during the first week of July.As recession fears grow, haven demand for gold is likely to increase in the coming months.China's central bank appetite fo...Read More
Copper-zinc miner Hudbay has appointed former Nevsun chief executive Peter Kukielski its interim chief executive officer after longstanding executive Alan Hair stood down from the post.Hair had been president and CEO of the company since 2016, having been at Hudbay for more than...Read More
In a rare move, Japan has started selling steel billet to Southeast Asia amid diving scrap prices in the country's domestic market.Steel mills in the Tokyo area have started channeling shipments of the semi-finished product to Southeast Asia, where buyers are prepared to pay higher prices than Japanese re-rollers, market sources said.While the sale of Japanese billet to Southeast Asia is not unpre...Read More
After several failed attempts over the past few years, the gold price finally broke above key technical resistance in the $1,365 to $1,375 area in late June.Corporate debt levels, in particular, have skyrocketed and have many analysts concerned that it could trigger the next crisis.While the coming gold price gains are significant enough to make most investors salivate, the potential returns from...Read More
Nickel closed around 2% higher on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 10 after peaking at intraday high above $13,000 per tonne, its highest since April. The three-month price bottomed out at $12,710 per tonne before it reversed higher, breaking past key resistance levels to breach $13,000 per tonne. It closed just short of the mark at $12,990 per tonne. More than 10,000 lots of nickel cha...Read More
The seaborne hard coking coal market regained some strength on Wednesday July 10, with a term-contract shipment being agreed at a higher price than some participants had expected. A cargo of top-quality materials in the second-tier segment was heard to have been traded at $174.10 per tonne fob Australia, sources told Fastmarkets during the day. The sale is believed to be part of a long-term contra...Read More
Endeavour Silver performed poorly in Q1, as its AISC increased well above the current silver price.The Terronera mine should be highly profitable at the current metals prices.Terronera should help Endeavour Silver to survive the current period of weak silver prices.The sizeable silver resources and high-cost operations provide significant leverage to growing silver prices, while Terronera provides...Read More
Market participants seem to be waiting for something to provide direction and that impetus is likely to come from the testimony of the United States Federal Reserve chairman later today.Market participants are counting on Fed chairman Jerome Powell to remain accommodating when testifying to Congress, with high odds that the 'insurance cut' of 25 basis points will be implemented in its July Federal...Read More
Assets under management among gold-backed exchange-traded funds in June saw their biggest monthly percentage climb since 2012, as prices for the yellow metal touched their highest levels in six years, according to a report from the World Gold Council released Tuesday. Global assets under management (AUM) rose 15% to $115 billion last month as "all regions experienced inflows," the report said. Nor...Read More
Gold futures rose Tuesday to top $1,400 an ounce, as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's testimony to Congress which could offer clues about the prospects for interest rate cuts in coming months. Powell delivered remarks on recent stress tests for banks at a conference in Boston Tuesday without commenting on monetary policy, but the week's main event was expected to be his...Read More
Nickel closed around 2% higher on the London Metal Exchange on Wednesday July 10 after peaking at intraday high above $13,000 per tonne, its highest since April. The three-month price bottomed out at $12,710 per tonne before it reversed higher, breaking past key resistance levels to breach $13,000 per tonne. It closed just short of the mark at $12,990 per tonne. More than 10,000 lots of nickel cha...Read More
Domestic price ranges for hollow steel sections in Northern and Southern Europe widened further this week following pressure from decreased feedstock costs and increased import volumes, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 10.Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?625-640 ($700-717) per tonne on Wednesday, down from ?,?630-640 p...Read More
Fastmarkets has amended the publication day for two of its weekly Chinese ferro-silicon prices from Friday to Wednesday, effective from Wednesday July 10, following one-month consultation period.The publication day for ferro-silicon 75% Si min, in-whs China, yuan/tonne and ferro-silicon 75% Si min export, fob China, $/tonne has been changed to Wednesday from Friday as of today.This amendment...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 10 that are worth another look.Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar has shut down after years of financial struggle. Copper-zinc miner Hudbay has appointed former Nevsun chief executive officer Peter Kukielski to take over as its interim CEO after longstanding executive Alan Hair stepped down from the post....Read More
Peru has given Southern Copper the construction authorization it needed for the T?-a Mar?-a copper project to go ahead, the company and the Peruvian authorities said on Tuesday July 9.The mining company, which already has operations in Peru and in Mexico, has waited for eight years to get the permit for the project, which will exploit two deposits: La Tapada and T?-a Mar?-a. It is expected to prod...Read More
Bosnian aluminium smelter Aluminij Mostar has shut down after years of financial struggle. Market sources cited issues with the smelter's debt as causing the plant to shut. The smelter's power was cut off around midnight on Wednesday July 10, local media outlet Klix reported. Nermin D? 3/4 indic, federal minister of energy, mining and industry, told local media a request for the smelter's bankrupt...Read More