Diego Parrilla, portfolio manager and author of "The Anti-Bubbles", likens portfolio construction to putting a soccer team on the field. In the coming decade he sees equities as being the strikers and options as being the goal-keeper. On Real Vision today, he explains his approach which includes using options to get defensive exposure to assets like Treasuries. He believes the 60/40 balanced pa...Read More

A summary of the financial results for Turkey's largest steelmaking group, Erdemir, for January-June 2020.In brief Erdemir Group's local flat steel sales decreased by 3.88% to 2.8 million tonnes in the first half of 2020.Erdemir Group's local long steel sales increased by 6.35% to 419,000 tonnes in January-June 2020. Erdemir Group's total steel exports were 687,000 tonnes of flat steel to 35 count...Read More

Domestic prices for steel rebar in Poland have narrowed over the past week, supported by good demand from end-users, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Trading activity in Poland's rebar market remained good in the week, despite the normal seasonal summer slowdown."Construction [activity] is slightly slower due to seasonal factors, but it is still okay," one trader said."I do not see less...Read More

Eastern China's rebar prices held steady on Friday August 7 despite falling futures, with restocking demand ahead of the weekend providing support to the market. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,670 yuan ($523-527) per tonne, unchanged Northern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 3,700-3,730 yuan per tonne, up by 50-60 yuan per tonneA weakening of iron ore futures dragged down the rebar c...Read More

No negotiations were again reported in the United States' spot pig iron market during the week ended Friday August 7, because steel mills' utilization rates remained low, Fastmarkets understands.But one deal was heard under long-term agreement at $340 per tonne cfr from Brazil. That would be "more or less in line with the spot market level," one buyer said. Meanwhile, other sources estimated that...Read More

European domestic prices for stainless steel scrap have increased over the past week, supported by the higher cost of nickel, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap, 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?850-880 ($1,118-1,157) per tonne on Friday, up by ?10 per tonne from ?840-870 per tonne on July 31.The assessme...Read More

Ferrous scrap prices in all the key global markets continued to increase in the week ended Friday August 7 on stable demand from end-users and high prices for downstream steel products.Turkey continues to purchase material at higher pricesUS export prices and volumes riseVietnam chooses US-origin scrap on narrowing differential with JapanTaiwan prices continue uptrendIndia prices return to pre-pan...Read More

Brazilian slab export prices increased in the week ended Friday August 7, with recent deals closed at higher levels and producers trying to push for new price increases in the next few weeks.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, reached $405-410 per tonne on Friday, up by $10-15 per tonne from $390-400 per tonne a week before.Recent deals for Brazilian...Read More

Offers of steel billet to foreign customers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region had gone up by the end of this week following the continuing uptrend in the scrap sector, Fastmarkets heard on Friday August 7.But trading activity was limited, even though some customers accepted the higher prices.Fastmarkets' steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $404 per tonne on A...Read More

European stainless steel prices have remained stable over the past week due to the seasonal demand slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?1,900-1,950 ($2,254-2,314) per tonne on August 7, unchanged week on week.The assessment was...Read More

Mexican production of light vehicles increased by 0.65% year-on-year in July 2020, according to national automotive association Amia.The country produced 294,946 light vehicles in the month, compared with 293,035 units a year before, according to the figures released on Thursday August 6.The results were better than expected, according to...Read More

Brazilian automotive output dropped by 36.2% year on year in July but increased by 73% sequentially, with automakers gradually resuming operations that were halted in previous months due to the Covid-19, according to figures published by national automotive association Anfavea on Friday August 7.Production of light vehicles in the country totaled 170,300 units last month, down from 267,000 units i...Read More

China's finished steel exports continued to fall on a year-on-year basis in July, but imports maintained an upward trend, according to customs data released on Friday August 7.July exports: 4.18 million tonnes, down by 25% from July 2019,...Read More

The aluminium industry neither deserves nor can afford the shock that would come from the United States' reintroduction of Section 232 tariffs on imports from Canada, according to Aluminum Association president and chief executive officer Tom Dobbins. Citing the latest government data from the US Census Bureau, Dobbins noted that US imports of primary aluminium from Canada were nearly 5% lower in...Read More

Now, I have not gone raving silver bug on you. The title says “silver bull” because that is what silver is in, a bull market by definition of having taken out the 2016 high of 21.23. We targeted that point as a cyclical bull market gateway, silver cut through it like a knife through warm butter… and there you have it. A key higher high. I don’t apologize for any of the abo...Read More

Brazil-based steelmaker Gerdau expects the metal spread in its North America division to remain stable in the coming months after the company was able to secure ferrous scrap at competitive prices, chief executive officer Gustavo Werneck said on Wednesday August 5.The company's metal spread - the premium between finished steel prices and scrap costs - averaged $415 per short ton in North America d...Read More

The Midwest aluminium premium soared by 5 cents on Friday August 7, logging its largest increase since Fastmarkets began assessing this premium in January 2003, with traders boosting offers on replacement cost considerations after the US reintroduced Section 232 tariffs on Canadian aluminium.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium P1020A premium, ddp Midwest US at 16-17 cents per lb on August 7, up by...Read More

This inflation-adjusted silver chart (frommacrotrends.net) tells an interesting story:The levelaround $18 appears to have been very critical, especially since it is the 1920and 1968 inflation adjusted high. It was an important level to cross on theway to the 1980 high, evidenced by the fact that it came back to that level(after it blast through in Dec 1973) before setting off to that all-time high...Read More

Brazilian slab export prices increased in the week ended Friday August 7, with recent deals closed at higher levels and producers trying to push for new price increases in the next few weeks.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, reached $405-410 per tonne on Friday, up by $10-15 per tonne from $390-400 per tonne a week before.Recent deals for Brazilian...Read More

First, we want to say “It took long enough!” and we’re happy to see this upside move in Natural Gas.  We had been calling this move for many months.  Our predictive modeling systems and cycle systems suggested the extended bottoming formation in Natural Gas was an excellent opportunity for skilled technical traders.  Today’s big move suggests the downside pri...Read More