Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday March 2 that are worth another look.The London Metal Exchange has received a significant rise in objections to its closing prices since trading on the LME Ring was halted in March 2020, new data released by the exchange...Read More

Stocks are predictably staging a continued recovery fromthe mostly sideways correction – a shallow one not strong enough to break thebulls‘ back. Credit markets are largely behaving – with the exception oflong-term Treasuries, which I see as highly likely to draw the Fed‘s attention – just as I discussed in detail yesterday. The S&P 500 keeps doing fine, and so do...Read More

Under the Biden administration the economy could overheat, thereby increasing inflation and the price of gold.In January, Biden unveiled his plan for stimulating the economy, which is struggling as the epidemic in the U.S. continues to unfold. Pundits welcomed the bold proposal of spending almost $2 trillion. Some expenditures, especially on vaccines and healthcare, sound pretty reasonable. Howeve...Read More

Lets start with the daily bar combo chart for the PM complex which shows the August trading range still under construction making lower lows and lower highs for the most part. Below is the daily bar PM combo chart showing the possible H&S tops. Over the last couple of weeks most of the PM stock indexes have formed a small blue consolidation pattern right around the neckline with most of them b...Read More

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution isgaining serious momentum.According to experts’ projections, demand for electric vehicles should rise at a 21.1%Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) until 2026.The extraordinary demand that is forecast forEVs over the next five years has now begun to trigger a massive disruption inthe global energy markets. As demand for EVs continues to move higher,the d...Read More

With the yellow metal just posting itslowest close since June and a bearish pattern forming, how vulnerable is goldto a further decline?Gold and mining stocks just broke to newyearly lows – as I warned you in my previous analyses. And that’s only thebeginning.Let’s jump right into the charts,starting with gold. Figure1 - COMEX Gold FuturesIn early February, gold broke below theri...Read More

In 2019, 97-year-old John B. Goodenough receivedthe Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking work on developing lithium-ionbatteries His discovery more than 40 years ago led to amassive breakthrough, giving us the rechargeable batteries hidden insidedevices we use every day... From smartphones and computers to power tools andmedical equipment.  But today, it’s led to a boom that’s signa...Read More

There has been quite a bit of chatter related to precious metals lately.  The rally in Cryptos, particularly Bitcoin, and various other stocks have raised expectations that Gold and Silver have been overlooked as a true hedging instrument. As these rallies continue in various other stocks and sectors, Gold and Silver have continued to trade sideways over the past 6+ months – when and ho...Read More

Peter Krauth, editor of Gold Resource Investor, delves into the movement among some companies to hold Bitcoin and gold rather than cash.Imagine your favorite company getting sued for holding too much cash.I know, that's a big statement. But hear me out.Corporations, pension funds and insurance companies—anyone responsible to stakeholders—could one day face class action lawsuits if they...Read More

Palladium was manipulated for years. It had the largest short position relative to itssize, while physical demand rose inversely to decreasing supply.In 2018, demand became so large that itoverwhelmed the shorts.Physical palladium could not meet the market'sneeds and prices exploded. Shorts eventually decreased their positions untilthey got to a more sustainable level.For many years, the platinum/...Read More

Gold is dodging bullets, as it comesincreasingly under fire from rising U.S. interest rates and a USD that ispoised to surge.Catching unsuspecting traders in yetanother bulltrap , gold’s early-week strength quickly faded. And with investorsunwilling to vouch for the yellow metal for more than a few days, therush-to-exit mentality highlights a short-term vexation that’s unlikely tosubsi...Read More

Aluminium and tin showed the biggest increases at the close of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Tuesday March 2, with price support coming from a lower US Dollar Index.The dollar index went down, prompted by the advancement of a proposed $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package through the US Congress.Following the passing of the stimulus bill through the House of Representatives late last wee...Read More

The London Metal Exchange has received a significant rise in objections to its closing prices since trading on the LME Ring was halted in March 2020, new data released by the exchange on Tuesday March 2 shows.The exchange has published new data surrounding the number of objections, the volume in the pricing process and the number of participants involved while the debate around a permanent shift t...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were in consolidation mode on Tuesday March 2, with tin declining slightly following a near 9% dive on Monday and nickel decreasing by 1%, amid a stronger US Dollar Index, which is at its highest since the first week of February.The three-month tin price increased to $23,520 per tonne at 9am on Tuesday, following its 8.6% slump at Monday's close to $...Read More

Chile produced 457,100 tonnes of copper in January, down by 0.7% from 460,100 tonnes in the same month in 2020, the Chilean copper commission, Cochilco, said on Tuesday March 2.A decline in output at the BHP-majority-owned Escondida copper mine - the world's largest - is likely to be the main reason for the small decline, with production there falling 11.6% to 84,700 tonnes in the first month of 2...Read More

ArcelorMittal has raised its European long steel product prices by a minimum of ?,?30-40 ($35-48) per tonne, market sources told Fastmarkets on Tuesday March 2.The price increases relate to mesh-quality wire rod, beams and rebar and came into effect on Friday February 26...Read More

RAPAPORT... Alrosa has raised its production outlook for 2021 after rough-diamond demand picked up at the start of the year.The Russian miner plans to recover 31.5 million carats this year, an increase from its previous forecast of 28 million to 30 million carats, it said Tuesday. That would result in a 5% jump in output versus the 30 million carats Alrosa produced in 2020."When we report out...Read More

RAPAPORT... India's Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has signed a cooperation agreement with eBay, aiming to boost the sector's online sales and educate members about e-commerce.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ES Online Services (India), part of the eBay group, calls for the global e-tail giant to create a micro-site for the Indian jewelry trade. The page, calle...Read More

RAPAPORT... French luxury group Kering has purchased a 5% stake in pre-owned luxury e-commerce platform Vestiaire Collective, aiming to capitalize on the growing secondhand market.Kering, which owns fashion houses Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent as well as jewelry labels Boucheron and Pomellato, will also hold a seat on Vestiaire's board, it said Monday. The funding - contributed together with US-bas...Read More

RAPAPORT PRESS RELEASE, March 2, 2021, Las Vegas... The diamond industry was optimistic in February as the US and China saw solid jewelry sales. Polished trading was steady during the month, though seasonally slower than in January. Polished prices were stable despite a gradual increase in inventory levels. The RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI?,,?) for 1-carat diamonds rose 0.8%. RapNet Diamond Index...Read More