An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More

Key data from Fastmarkets' Wednesday July 24 pricing session in Europe:Key drivers The ferro-titanium market has stabilized after a run of losses and while there was one sale around $4.50 per kg and below the current range, it was in isolation, with most sources expecting a stabilizing in the market. The ferro-titanium market is establishing a price floor, with producer supply cited to be in...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 24 that are worth another look.While Vedanta cheered over South Africa's recent court ruling against the Zambian government's liquidation of its majority-owned Konkola Copper Mines, Zambian officials rebuked the decision and denied the enforceability of the foreign ruling that determines the future of the country's l...Read More

The dream of building a new world-class copper-gold mine in Pakistan in an area bordering Afghanistan and Iran has been dashed, for now at least. The saga of Tethyan Copper Co's (TCC) efforts to develop the Reko Diq mine found resolution last week with an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruling in favor of TCC following a dispute that has rumbled on for years.TCC,...Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSSIf you're looking for a reason why people invest in the metals, then here's not just one reason, but several...Silver Doctors' Half Dollar and SD Bullion's James Anderson were the hosts for today's live-stream, and wow, was it a good stream!Some of the topics discussed in today's live-stream include:T...Read More

The silver market is on the upswing, but consolidation could be in the offing. Here's why...by Clive Maund of Streetwise ReportsThe silver market is on the upswing but consolidation could be in the offing, according technical analyst Clive Maund.Some weeks back we had correctly surmised that gold's gathering strength would rub off on silver and cause it to start catching up, so we bought a range o...Read More

The announcement of this change is expected to cause a sharp acceleration in the rise of precious metals at the end of 2020...by Cyrille Jubert via CyrilleJubert.comAs I announced it at the end of June, after again a touch-down on its very long-term support, silver started its third leg up.Each rising leg is marked by the crossing upward of a Fibonacci's fan, which is an oblique resistance coming...Read More

"At the current price levels, the cost of participation in an upcoming rally can be a rare bargain."by Frank Suess via Global GoldIt looks like the patience of silver investors might finally be rewarded, as the metal's price appears to be gathering momentum in recent weeks. The silver price plummeted to $13/oz in early 2016, a long way down from its peak at $50/oz in 2011. It has since been stuck...Read More

Silver popped nicely, rallying nearly 7.5 % from low to high over the past two weeks, beating gold's 4.8% gain.The gold/silver ratio has dropped a little more than 6 full points in the past week, falling from a high just north of 93 ounces of silver to purchase one ounce of gold, to just under 87.In last week's blog we identified $16.20 per ounce as a key level for silver. That level was t...Read More

The dramatic shift in the dynamics of the lithium market over the past four years has changed business practices and increased demand for price transparency. The dramatic shift in the dynamics of the lithium market over the past four years has changed business practices and increased demand for price transparency. Fueled by anticipated growth in the global battery market and the consequent price s...Read More

China's hot-rolled coil sellers cut their prices on Wednesday July 24 amid weak demand, although some participants believe a rebound could take place in days due to ongoing production curbs in the northern region.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 3,830-3,850 yuan ($557-559) per tonne, down 50 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 3,830-3,840 yuan per tonne, down 20 yuan per tonneSpot prices fell...Read More

James HyerczykJul 23, 2019 9:00 PM GMTGold futures weakened on Tuesday, pressured by a strong U.S. Dollar that hit its highest level against a basket of currencies since May 31. The greenback was supported by a lower Euro and British Pound.The news that the Trump administration and lawmakers had reached a two-year deal that raises limits on government borrowing to cover spending helped support the...Read More

Prices for seaborne cargoes of low-ash, low-sulfur coking coal in the second-tier segment continue to find support from sustained interest among Chinese buyers.A cargo of top-quality materials in the segment was traded at $166-167 per tonne fob Australia, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday July 24.Market participants in China reiterated that a tight supply of good-quality second-tier materials...Read More

An accumulation of high-grade copper scrap in the United States, following China's recent embargo of the material, has led to a drop in the US copper cathode premium range for the first time in a month. Elsewhere, positive forward spreads on the London Metal Exchange and ample availability kept Shanghai and Rotterdam premiums steady. Scrap build-up causes US cathode premium to widen downward Shang...Read More

Key data from the Wednesday July 24 pricing session in Europe. Key drivers  Antimony prices are holding firmer for both grades in Rotterdam with slightly more interest from traders than in previous weeks. Some major suppliers are said to be resuming production while traders refused to cut offers despite thin spot trading...Read More

The price of mesh-quality wire rod in Southern Europe continued to narrow upwards week on week on Wednesday July 24, with Italian mills looking to raise their offer prices ahead of the summer slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe, was ?,?480-500 ($536-559) per tonne on Wednesday, narrowing...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 24 that are worth another look.While Vedanta cheered over South Africa's recent court ruling against the Zambian government's liquidation of its majority-owned Konkola Copper Mines, Zambian officials rebuked the decision and denied the enforceability of the foreign ruling that determines the future of the country's l...Read More

The rate of decline in Brazil's production of primary aluminium slowed in June, when Norsk Hydro's Albras smelter started to ramp-up production to more than 50% capacity, the country's association for the sector, Abal, said on Wednesday July 24.Data from Abal showed that the country produced 48,600 tonnes of aluminium ingots and extruded billets in June, 2.40% less than the 49,800 tonnes of June 2...Read More

Trade issues and macro-economic sentiment were affecting copper prices and short-term consumption, but customer demand was "certainly not falling off a cliff," according to the chief executive officer of US producer Freeport McMoRan.Richard Adkerson said on Wednesday July 24, during a call for the company's second-quarter results, that uncertainties from the trade dispute between the United States...Read More

A summary of Freeport-McMoRan's results for the second quarter of 2019.A summary of Freeport-McMoRan's results for the second quarter of 2019.In brief Second-quarter copper sales declines, as previously anticipated, with full year sales expected to be lower while the company transitions its giant Grasberg mine in Indonesia from open pit to underground.  The company started ore extraction from...Read More