China may not be the big steady steel rebar buyer that most of us in the market thought it was, the International Rebar Producers & Exporters Association (Irepas) said on February 5 with regards the impact of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). In general, the demand outlook is still positive globally while developments in the automotive and industrial markets may help to support construction produ...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices held steady on Wednesday February 12 amid weak demand, though optimism emerged following a call by the country's Ministry of Industry & Information Technology for enterprises to resume production gradually. Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,380-3,420 yuan ($485-490) per tonne, unchangedNorthern China (Beijing): 3,440-3,460 yuan per tonne, unchangedA trader in eastern China...Read More

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

The VIX closed at its lowest point in almost three weeksThe Dow cruised to a comfortable 275-point win today, as more signs point to a slowdown in the coronavirus outbreak. New cases of the viral infection declined for the second-straight day and UnitedHealth (UNH) saw a healthy push higher, helping the blue chip index nab another record close. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq locked up their third-straight...Read More

The equity is also filling a mid-May bear gapDrug concern Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (NYSE:TEVA) is enjoying an 8.6% surge in this afternoon's trading, last seen at $13.39, nearly filling its mid-May bear gap. Igniting today's outperformance is the company's better-than-expected fourth-quarter report, a byproduct of its two-year restructuring program. Teva also said it expects large growt...Read More

Rite Aid just pulled back to a historically bullish technical signal on the charts Since an impressive climb in late-December that culminated in an annual peak at the $24 level, the shares of Rite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) have been in sell-off mode. While the $12 region has captured some of these losses, the shares can't seem to shake the pressure mounting at the $14 level, with RAD falling from...Read More

Health insurance stocks are wary of Sanders' plan for private insuranceYesterday, Senator Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire democratic primary, but not in the blowout many expected. In the aftermath, J.P. Morgan Securities noted that for a candidate that supports the elimination of private insurance, the failure to secure a double-digit win is a boost for health insurer stocks. The brokerage fi...Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Wednesday February 12.Key drivers The price range for ferro-titanium has been stable over the past week, with suppliers holding their offer prices against steady but low-key demand from consumers. No deals were reported, apart from in the scrap market where there were reports of almost 40 tonnes bought in the UK at the top end of the latest a...Read More

Bulls should keep an eye on the round $70 levelFor the last two years, the energy sector has become a persona non grata of sorts on Wall Street. According to a recent Wall Street Journal profile, the exchange traded fund (ETF) Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) was the worst performing sector on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) in 2018 and 2019, and 2020 doesn't look like it will be any better.XLE curren...Read More

The Dow is eyeing a triple-digit win at the midday mark The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is piggybacking on this week's impressive rally, grabbing even more record highs, with a triple-digit pop at the midway mark amid a report from China's National Health Commission that coronavirus cases have slowed to their lowest levels in weeks. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) also hit another fresh high mid...Read More

Transport restrictions in China affecting raw material supply amid the coronavirus outbreak have led to a more active molybdenum spot market in China and as a result have lifted prices in South Korea and Europe. Low inventories in China have forced buyers there to import more material and subsequently drive the alloy and oxide prices to their highest levels since October 2019, according to Fastmar...Read More

NVDA has doubled off its June bottomWhile sector peer Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) climbs the charts, fellow chip name Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) has turned in an impressive run of its own. Today, the shares are up 0.7% to trade at $269.68, after receiving three price-target hikes between last night and this morning. The highest comes from Jefferies, who bumped its target up to a Street-hig...Read More

Bed Bath & Beyond's 5.4% drop in same-store sales missed analysts' estimates Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. (NASDAQ:BBBY) is continuing its journey lower today, down a dramatic 26.4% to trade at $10.94 after the retailer posted a 5.4% drop in same-store sales for December and January, which was wider than analysts' forecasts. The home goods specialist cited an increase in promotional activity, slowing tra...Read More

Shopify and Lyft stocks are in focus post-earningsU.S. stock futures are trading above fair value this morning, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) eyeing triple-digit territory at the open. Futures on the S&P 500 Index (SPX) and Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) are pointing to a solid start as well, as investors consider a mix of earnings reports and coronavirus headlines. Fed Chair Jerome Powell i...Read More

The prices of hollow steel sections in Europe remained flat this week, with eyes on the soon-to-be-exhausted import quota allocated to Turkey, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday February 12.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel sections (medium), domestic, delivered Northern Europe, was ?,?620-640 ($677-698) per tonne on Wednesday, unchanged week on week.Prices have remained steady des...Read More

Althoughits decline was not yet significant, the USD Index finally declined yesterday.Given the recent breakout above the November 2019 highs, this move lower mightleave one with mixed feelings. TheUSDX in the Short RunOnone hand, the USD Index just closed above the November high for the thirdconsecutive trading day, which confirms the breakout, and is a bullish factor.Onthe other hand, the USD In...Read More

MAC has plunged 44% over the past 12 monthsReal estate investment trust (REIT) Macerich Co (NYSE:MAC) is down 1%in electronic trading, moving lower on the heels of a bear note out of Piper Sandler. The brokerage firm downgraded to "underweight" from "neutral," and sliced its price target to $20 from $26. This revised outlook represents a 17.5% deficit from last night's close, and runs alongside t...Read More

The latest Investors Intelligence sentiment survey showed a drop in bullishness Sentiment is starting to sour despite the S&P 500 Index (SPX) trading at all-time highs, according to the weekly Investors Intelligence sentiment survey. Even though there was a 3% pullback in the second half of January partly due to uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, the significant drop in sentiment seems unwa...Read More

Craig Hemke, TF MetalsAs you know, we've been following the palladium story for over two years now. It is very important to understand that this is NOT a speculative, COMEX story. Instead, this is a physical supply story that emanates from London. To that end, today let's review the COMEX data to see how The Banks are responding in this futures-only market.Let's begin with the chart below. This...Read More

By: Ira EpsteinGold has a lower highs and lower lows over the short-term. Choppy action. We are at the 18-dma, the battleground..Read More