Fed rate cuts and Trump's push for a lower dollar should increase the value of gold.Low and negative-yielding bonds will entice investors to look for an alternative investment.Equity markets push higher even though trade war tensions are increasing, making gold and other commodities increasingly attractive.Using JNUG to capitalize on an upswing from gold.Intro As major indices are reaching all...Read More

The export market for pig iron from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was stable and seasonally calm in the past seven days, sources told Fastmarkets on Thursday August 1.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for high-manganese pig iron export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS, was $335-340 per tonne on Thursday, stable week on week.Sales from the CIS were heard only to the United States, th...Read More

European steelmakers have increased their offer prices of stainless-steel flat products due to higher nickel costs, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 2.The price of nickel, 3 months, London Metal Exchange Daily Official, was $14,520-14,525 per tonne on August 2, up from $14,100-14,125 per tonne on July 26.As a result, European steelmakers have increased the August alloy surcharges for grad...Read More

Key data from the pricing sessions in China, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday August 2. China UG2 chrome ore prices rose for the fourth consecutive week amid steady consumer demand.Transaction volumes were lower than in previous weeks, indicating that the recent surge in buying activity may be slowing.Domestic ferro-chrome spot prices remained stable following the release by...Read More

Globally, central banks added a net 126.5 tons of gold to their reserves last month.Poland accounted for the bulk of the big June increase in central bank gold reserves.That brings total reported central bank gold purchases on the year to approximately 378 net tons.By SchiffGold Central banks continued to buy gold in June, according to the latest data released by the World Gold Council. Globally,...Read More

The breakout in June was a significant event.The Fed and ECB kept the bullish party going in July.Validation of the bull market comes from the global currency markets.Gold could reach $2000 per ounce a lot sooner than most market participants believe.Gold mining stocks will magnify the move - the GDXJ ETF has explosive potential.For anyone who appreciates history, gold is an asset that has capture...Read More

Soaring iron ore prices have pushed Chinese hot metal costs up above those for ferrous scrap over recent months, stimulating greater use of the secondary raw material, according to calculations by Fastmarkets' research team. Fastmarkets' Steel Cost Service updates for the first and second quarters of 2019 detail average global integrated (BOF-route) plant's crude steel costs rose to an average of...Read More

SD Friday Wrap: Don't be surprised to see a gap-up in the silver price on Sunday. There's a very specific reason why it could just happen...*****Editor's Note: These charts were set-up shortly after 12:00 p.m. EST on Friday, August 2nd, 2019.*****You wouldn't know it if you weren't a chart watcher, but gold hit multi-year highs at 6:00 p.m. EST on Thursday evening:Of course, pressure was applied t...Read More

Those standing for delivery are getting bypassed by dealers desperate for whatever silver they can get their hands on. Here's why...by Harvey Organ of Harvey Organ BlogAUGUST 1/WHAT A DAY!!//GOLD AND SILVER REVERSE ON TRUMP TARIFFS ON CHINA!//GOLD DOWN $4.95 TO $1420.50 (COMEX TO COMEX) AND SILVER IS DOWN 23 CENTS TO $16.17//IN ACCESS MARKET TRADING: GOLD LAST AT $1443//SILVER AT $/CHINA THREATENI...Read More

The knee-jerk reaction is a lot of "selling", but what effects will today's jobs report have on the markets, gold & silver? The BLS Jobs Report, formally known as the Employment Situation Report, was just released.Prior to the release, here were the consensus estimates from Econoday:Here are the actual numbers as reported by the BLS:Number of jobs created in the month of May, 2019: 164,000Unemp...Read More

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly weaker at the close of trading on Friday August 2, with copper leading losses and falling by some 2.2% to reach its lowest level since June 2017 amid a sharp sell-off across the complex.Largely prompted by fresh tariff threats against China from United States president Trump, investors took caution and reduced risk-expo...Read More

More disruptions to trade relations between the United States and China have added to the gloom in the commodities markets on Friday August 2, including iron ore.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $107.73 per tonne, down by $7.95 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $106.23 per tonne, down by $7.95 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index f...Read More

Lead stocks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose to 40,497 tonnes as of Friday August 2, up by 4,777 tonnes or 13.4% from last Friday, according to the SHFE's latest inventory report. The largest inflow of lead this week was registered at Zhejiang Tianchuan in Zhejiang province, with 3,219 tonnes of the metal entering the warehouse. An increased number of orders for lead could have stemmed from a...Read More

Price movements in the global ferrous scrap markets were mixed in the past week. Poor demand in India and Turkey caused prices to fall or remain stable, but Asian scrap buyers have accepted increased prices because of higher settlements in the domestic market of the principal supplier, the United States. Weak downstream markets keep Turkish mills away from spot market Higher freight cost pushes do...Read More

Low-grade manganese ore prices have given up most of July's gains in the past two weeks due to lower offers and general risk aversion in China. Fastmarkets' manganese ore index 37% Mn, cif Tianjin, dropped 12 cents to $5.39 per dmtu on Friday August 2 after producers reported aggressive counter-bids from buyers in China, prompting them to offer low to secure sales. Some deals were reported as...Read More

The management turnaround planned by Brazilian mining company Vale for its nickel operations in New Caledonia will not be fully seen in 2019, chief financial officer Luciano Siani said in a conference call on Thursday August 1.Output at the unit is not expected to improve significantly in the second half of the year, following a steep decline during the first six months in 2019, the executive said...Read More

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were predominantly weaker at the close of trading on Friday August 2, with copper leading losses and falling by some 2.2% to reach its lowest level since June 2017 amid a sharp sell-off across the complex.Largely prompted by fresh tariff threats against China from United States president Trump, investors took caution and reduced risk-expo...Read More

An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More

The following Fastmarkets non-ferrous European free market scrap prices changed on Friday August 2:Aluminium scrapFloated frag, delivered consumer Europe, ?,?/tonne: ?,?980-1,000 per tonne...Read More

Lead stocks on the Shanghai Futures Exchange rose to 40,497 tonnes as of Friday August 2, up by 4,777 tonnes or 13.4% from last Friday, according to the SHFE's latest inventory report. The largest inflow of lead this week was registered at Zhejiang Tianchuan in Zhejiang province, with 3,219 tonnes of the metal entering the warehouse. An increased number of orders for lead could have stemmed from a...Read More