Zambia has received bids from Canada's First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and others for a 17 percent stake in state mining investment arm ZCCM-IH, the finance minister said on Tuesday."There are multiple unsolicited offers on the table, including from FQM, which are based on preferential share conversions," said Margaret Mwanakatwe on the sidelines of a mining conference in Cape Town."The offers rela...Read More

Zambia has received bids from Canada's First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and others for a 17 percent stake in state mining investment arm ZCCM-IH, the finance minister said on Tuesday."There are multiple unsolicited offers on the table, including from FQM, which are based on preferential share conversions," said Margaret Mwanakatwe on the sidelines of a mining conference in Cape Town."The offers rela...Read More

Vale SA said it's temporarily halting some operations at its Brucutu mine, potentially causing a production loss of about 30 million metric tons of iron ore a year - a move that an analyst said could cause "incremental supply shock." Iron ore in Singapore climbed.The move is in compliance with a Brazilian court order issued to help improve safety after one of Vale's tailings dam in Minas Gerais st...Read More

* April-Dec net profit grows 6 pct y/y to record 442 bln yen* Books impairment losses on Olam, Chilean iron ore mines* Keeps full-year profit forecast of record 640 bln yenJapan's biggest trading house Mitsubishi Corp on Tuesday posted a 6 percent rise in its April-December net profit thanks to higher income from energy operations, and stuck to its record profit forecast for the year despite one-o...Read More

MRK stock is eyeing its best win streak in at least a yearMerck & Co, Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is trying to extend its hot streak today, trading up 1.7% early on at $78.16, setting it up for a sixth straight daily win -- its best in at least a year. Traders are responding to a note out of BofA-Merrill Lynch that named MRK stock as the firm's top pick out of the pharma sector. The analyst note predicted mor...Read More

A report commissioned by Brazilian miner Vale SA last year to look into the stability of the tailings dam that ruptured Jan. 25 certified it as sound but raised concerns over its drainage and monitoring systems, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported on Tuesday.The report by German-based T?oeV S?oeD, which Folha said it had access to, made 17 recommendations aimed at improving the stability of the s...Read More

The makeup company also upped its full-year guidanceThe shares of Estee Lauder Companies Inc (NYSE:EL) are up 11.8% at $152.21, after the cosmetics concern reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that beat analysts' expectations. The company said growing revenue in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as strong holiday sales, were catalysts for the earnings surprise. As a result, Estee Lauder lifted i...Read More

Deutsche Bank sees increasing competition from store brandsThe shares of Kraft Heinz Co (NASDAQ:KHC) are 0.4% lower to trade at $47.53 this morning, after Deutsche Bank downgraded the food concern to "hold" from "buy," while trimming its price target to $52 from $58. The analyst in coverage noted that increased efforts from store brands have taken a share of Kraft Heinz's major categories. Kraf...Read More

Record palladium prices and a weaker rand are lifting the gloom enveloping South Africa's platinum industry.For South African producers, the rally in palladium is partially offsetting the slump in platinum prices to near a decade low. Combined with a decline in the rand, which lowers costs for miners selling metal for dollars, that's extending a lifeline to companies such as Impala Platinum Holdin...Read More

Elevated stock market valuations, reduced liquidity support by central banks and increased risk of recession are not a good mix for equity investors.Retail investors are entering the market at an increasing rate, while some of the best fund managers are doing exactly the opposite.Pension funds might pose one of the biggest systemic risks to the financial system.Counter-intuitive to the riskier env...Read More

The State of the Union will be in focus tonightU.S. stock futures are modestly higher this morning, though the Nasdaq-100 Index (NDX) is lagging its peers amid concerns about rising costs for Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) after last night's quarterly report. Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trading above fair value ahead of earnings from blue chip Walt Disney (DIS) tonight, and trad...Read More

Carmakers may have to consider investing directly in cobalt mines to secure supply over the next three to five years, as demand for the metal used in rechargeable batteries is set to increase exponentially, Ford Motor Co. senior manager for energy storage strategy and research Ted Miller believes.Speaking at a mining industry event in South Africa, Miller said the auto industry is now in an "awkwa...Read More

Brucutu, which has an annual capacity of 30 million tonnes of iron ore, is Brazil's second largest mine, behind Vale's Caraj??s.Read full newsRead More

   •  A modest USD uptick keeps a lid on the attempted recovery move.   •  Fading safe-haven demand further collaborates towards capping gains. Gold surrendered a major part of its early modest gains and is currently placed in the neutral territory, around the 1313-12 region. The precious metal did attempt to build on the previous session's late rebound...Read More

A report made public today by Rapaport reveals that polished-diamond prices softened in January, with 1-carat stones falling by 0.4% last month and 1.8% compared to January 2018, while 3-carat gems fell by 1.8% last month and 5.9% compared to last year.Smaller diamonds saw a less steep decline in prices as 0.5-carat rocks fell by 0.3% in January 2019 and 0.1% when compared to last year, and 0.3-ca...Read More

A report made public today by Rapaport reveals that polished-diamond prices softened in January, with 1-carat stones falling by 0.4% last month and 1.8% compared to January 2018, while 3-carat gems fell by 1.8% last month and 5.9% compared to last year.Smaller diamonds saw a less steep decline in prices as 0.5-carat rocks fell by 0.3% in January 2019 and 0.1% when compared to last year, and 0.3-ca...Read More

How you can transform lagging indicators into leading indicators.Despite the strong January kick-start to 2019, many investors are still apprehensive of what's to come, especially considering some of the latest market-moving events -- think Fed policy announcements, U.S.-China trade negotiations, and earnings season, to start.While it's certainly no crystal ball, becoming familiar with the various...Read More

(Corrects reference to iron ore production in paragraphs 7 & 9) * April-Dec net profit grows 6 pct y/y to record 442 bln yen * Books impairment losses on Olam, Chilean iron ore mines * Keeps full-year profit forecast of record 640 bln yen By Yuka ObayashiTOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Japan's biggest trading houseMitsubishi Corp on Tuesday posted a 6 percent rise inits April-December net profit than...Read More

* Vale ordered to shut iron ore tailings dams in Brazil * Vale produces most of its nickel outside Brazil * Analysts say nickel's gains on Vale disaster overdone (Adds closing prices)By Maytaal AngelLONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Nickel prices fell on Tuesday astraders took profits after betting the metal up to four-monthhighs in the previous session on concerns that Brazilian minerVale could be forced...Read More

Lara Exploration (TSXV: LRA) announced this week that it signed a Definitive Agreement granting Capstone Mining (TSX:CS) an exclusive option to earn up to a 70% interest in the Planalto copper project, located in the Caraj??s province in northern Brazil.In a press release, the companies stated that under the terms of the agreement, Capstone has to pay Lara $200,000 following the receipt of a drill...Read More