Silver continues to languish, despite gold remaining firm and trading at over US$1,300 per ounce. While the global economic outlook is upbeat, which is not a positive for precious metals, rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East bode well for gold and silver.Another factor that will give silver a boost is rising industrial demand for the white metal. Because of its conductive properties, si...Read More
The mega-cap stocks that dominate the US markets are just wrapping up a truly-extraordinary earnings season. Naturally this first quarter under Republicans' new corporate tax cuts fueled surging profits. But sales were up big too, which is no mean feat for massive companies. With sustained growth at this torrid pace impossible, peak-earnings fears are mounting. And valuations stayed extremely...Read More
The mega-cap stocks that dominate the US markets are just wrapping up a truly-extraordinary earnings season. Naturally this first quarter under Republicans' new corporate tax cuts fueled surging profits. But sales were up big too, which is no mean feat for massive companies. With sustained growth at this torrid pace impossible, peak-earnings fears are mounting. And valuations stayed extremely...Read More
The UK's Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has laid its latest Corporate Plan before Parliament in which it lists its ten priorities for 2018-2019. These include developing a new regime to meet safeguarding obligations following Parliament's decision to exit Euratom, along with measures to support the implementation of new emergency planning arrangements as a result of the Basic Standards Direct...Read More
Base metals on the London Metal Exchange ended the week predominantly higher at the close of trading on Friday May 11, although aluminium fell 2% and edged below its $2,300 per tonne support level. The light metal fell to a low of $2,263.50 per tonne over the course of the afternoon, while its cash/three-month spread has widened into a contango of $10 per tonne, from $4.75c per tonne earlier in th...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Average daily volumes (ADV) on the London Metal Exchange rocketed as much as 63.2% year on year for the month of April, with aluminium's ADV difference soaring 117.5% higher, according to the bourse's latest monthly trading report. The LME's monthly trading report includes a breakdown of ADV, with its latest report excluding unallocated trades (UNA) for each metal. An UNA trade is a new service th...Read More
Other people's money is always more fun to play with recklessly than your own. As such there's been a quiet escalation in number of private capital pools offering mortgage (and auto) financing to subprime quality borrowers. "Special Circumstance Lending" is one such lender in Denver. It constantly runs ads on Denver radio.The proprietor of Special Circumstance Lending was an aggressive par...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in the week ending Friday May 11.China Chinese ferro-chrome spot prices bottomed out after small volumes were available to major stainless steel mills at their lower tender prices for May. Few deals have been closed at new prices this week while market insiders...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
As members of the metals industry, including the London Metal Exchange, brokers, traders, producers, consumers, banks and warehouse companies, prepare to gather for LME Asia Week in Hong Kong from Monday May 14, Metal Bulletin reviews the likely topics of discussion.Opening up China's markets China has been opening up its economy and markets recently. In May, China allowed foreign investors to tra...Read More
Exploring Argentina Lithium & Energy's 20,500-hectare Arizaro Project in northwest Argentina. Photo courtesy Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp.With the impending advent of the widespread use of electric cars, trucks plus the millions of rechargeable consumer electronic devices that utilize lithium ion batteries, it is no wonder that numerous exploration companies have turned their attention...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Gold's Mercedes Mine in Sonora, Mexico. Source: Premier Gold Mines Ltd.Premier Gold Mines Ltd. [PG-TSX; PIRGF-OTC] on Friday May 11 filed a technical report that was prepared for its Mercedes gold-silver mine in Mexico in compliance with NI 43-101 standards of disclosure. The technical report provides more details about previously announced reserves and resources at the 100%-owned Mercedes Mine in...Read More
In light of feedback received as part of the consultation on its international cobalt price specifications, Metal Bulletin will change the names of its benchmark in-warehouse Rotterdam assessments from January 2019. From January 2019, the name 'standard-grade' will replace the name 'low-grade'. The name 'alloy-grade' will replace the name 'high-grade'. The last date prices will be published under...Read More
Drilling at Almaden's Tuligtic Project in Pueblo State, Mexico which covers the Ixtaca gold-silver deposit. Source: Almaden Minerals Ltd.Almaden Minerals Ltd. [AMM-TSX; AAU-NYSE] on Friday May 11 announced a proposed non-brokered private placement financing of up to seven million units. The aim is to raise $7 million at a price of $1 per unit. Almaden said it intends to use the proceeds of the off...Read More
Global ferrous scrap prices were mostly going higher during the working week ended Friday May 11 with prices beginning to climb out of the price trough.Turkish buyers were mostly on the market sidelines due to higher offers and sluggish demand, but a deal concluded at higher prices supported their negotiating position.Upticks in US ferrous scrap export prices to Turkey were capped by a large reduc...Read More
The price of crude oil is rapidly on the rise.Oil recently broke past $70 per barrel for the first time since 2014 after President Trump pulled out of the Iran deal. And many believe the black stuff is set to top $100 per barrel again shortly.For summer vacationers, that means a much more expensive drive to the beach. But for the savvy investor, this summer's oil prices could mean huge gains.Here'...Read More
Two technologies commercially launched within a week of each other promise to be game-changing ore examination tools.Noel Dyson* Chrysos Photon Assay unit. Photo: Tony McDonough11 MAY 201811/05/2018commentsshare Perhaps the most exciting thing about the Orexplore GeoCore X10 core scanner and Chrysos Corporation's photon assay tools is that nobody is really sure where their biggest impacts will be.Read More