By Larry LaBorde I will admit that I am getting old. I was born when Eisenhower was president. My idea of a tablet while growing up in the early 1960's was an etch-a-sketch. The first time Apple customer support told me to reboot my ipad I turned it upside down and shook it real hard. Yesterday my Amazon hockey puck mistakenly starting playing a song at full volume while I was skyping wi...Read More

Prices in the global steel billet market were mostly trending upward last week amid enlivened demand at some destinations as well as increased scrap prices, Metal Bulletin has learnt.There were some markets in which prices remained unchanged week-on-week, but these were largely in Asia, where market participants have now broken off for the week-long lunar new year holiday, ending on February 21.Tu...Read More

Gold continues to prepare to break out of its giant Head-and-Shoulders bottom pattern. As we can see on its 8-year chart below, this base pattern has been developing for getting on for 5-years now, so it has major implications. Upside volume has been building for a long time, driving volume indicators higher, a sign that a breakout and new bullmarket is simply a matter of time, and not much at t...Read More

By John MauldinInvisible DerivativesGiant MysteryZero ConfidenceSonoma and the SIC in San DiegoFederal Reserve officials like to say their policy course is "data-dependent." That sounds very cautious and intelligent, but what does it actually mean? Which data and who's interpreting it? Let's ask a few questions.Photo: Federal Reserve Board of GovernorsFirst, how could their policy choices not be...Read More

Gold spiked in January, and looked to be headed even higher. But there were some problems. First, futures speculators - as tracked by the Commitment of Traders (COT) report - had gone overwhelmingly long, and since they tend to be wrong at emotional extremes, this was a red flag. Second, gold was approaching the $1360 level that had, since 2014, been the place where upward momentum went to die....Read More

By Gary TanashianDespite a tough week for stocks into Friday, February 9, three big picture macro indicators have continued to support a risk 'on' backdrop. Many of the shorter-term indicators we watch, like Junk bond ratios and the Palladium/Gold ratio say the same thing. Junk/Treasury and Junk/Investment Grade are threatening new highs and as we have noted in NFTRH updates all through the rece...Read More

By Gary SavageStocks have only recently broken above a 20 year long consolidation period. Price may now enter a parabolic phase or be beginning another long term bull market. In either case, this video explains why stocks are not presently in a bubble.https://blog.smartmoneytrackerpremium.com/ Read More

Prices in the global steel billet market were mostly trending upward last week amid enlivened demand at some destinations as well as increased scrap prices, Metal Bulletin has learnt.There were some markets in which prices remained unchanged week-on-week, but these were largely in Asia, where market participants have now broken off for the week-long lunar new year holiday, ending on February 21.Tu...Read More

Aluminium was the only base metal on the London Metal Exchange to close in positive territory on Monday February 19, with the majority of the complex's prices under pressure.The three-month aluminium price closed $6 higher as it managed to stabilize above $2,200 per tonne following Friday's release of US Commerce department recommendations on imports."While prices have rallied from their recent lo...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were weaker during morning trading on Monday February 19, with most metals reversing gains seen last week. The three-month copper price was recently trading $62.50 per tonne lower than Friday's 5pm closing price and coming under pressure at the $7,200 per tonne level. Market volumes are expected to remain thin today with Chinese traders away for the...Read More

Metal Bulletin aluminium billet premiums were largely unchanged around the world on Friday February 16, on a combination of factors. The market in the United States was stagnant in the month to Friday, while Asian market participants were away for the Lunar New Year holiday and consumers in Europe reported being well stocked. The three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange closed at $...Read More

Before diving into the topic, let's be clear about one thing: The economic definition of "inflation" is the increase in money supply relative to the marginal increase of wealth output (GDP) in the economic system for which money supply is created. This is differentiated from "price inflation," which would is "a general rise in prices."Money and credit creation in excess of wealth output causes...Read More

Spain-focused tungsten miner W Resources has secured a $35 million loan facility to fund its La Parilla development in southwest Spain, it said late last week.The lenders include one or more funds managed by BlackRock Financial Management, the miner said.The loan will have a five-year scheduled term, with a two-year non-call period, it added. W Resources has the right to repay the loan after two y...Read More

The week-long Lunar New Year holiday slowed down European and Chinese tungsten markets last week with little spot activity taking place. Chinese, European markets were subdued during Lunar New Year holidays Week-long holidays expected to tighten tungsten supply further Expectations of price increase after China returns to the market China's tungsten market was quiet last week amid thin...Read More

Non-ferrous metals producer Korea Zinc will increase sales of zinc from its directly owned smelting assets in 2018 by 8%, or 50,000 tonnes, while reducing its lead and silver volumes, it said on February 8.The company plans to cut sales of lead by 10,000 tonnes to a total of 410,000 tonnes, and to reduce silver sales by 10%, or 216 tonnes, to 1,900 tonnes.Zinc sales will increase to an annual tota...Read More

Domestic Chinese trading is preparing for a shake-up after the new International Energy Exchange (INE), a subsidiary of the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE), has announced it will allow non-Chinese companies to trade crude oil futures contracts.Following the release of a one-line statement from the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) on February 9 that announced the launch of domestic cr...Read More

Exploring the Mariana lithium project in Argentina. Source: International Lithium Corp.International Lithium said the program, targeting the Fairservice Pegmatite 6 Prospect, consisted of nine core holes for a total of 1,591 metres, and delivered multiple intersections of spodumene-bearing pegmatite.Core has been cut and samples sent for laboratory analysis. Results are expected to be available ne...Read More

Low- and high-grade cobalt prices continued to overlap in the latest price assessment, with a supply squeeze coupled with strong demand for cobalt broken cathodes and briquettes for chemical applications at the core of new higher prices. Metal Bulletin assessed benchmark low-grade cobalt prices at $38-39.30 per lb, in-warehouse on Friday February 16, up by 25 cents on the low end of the range...Read More

Mining operations at the San Martin Mine in Queretaro, Mexico. Source: Starcore International Mining Ltd.During the third quarter of fiscal 2018, ended January 31, 2018, the company said a total of 65,598 tonnes was milled at the San Martin Mine in Queretaro at an average grade of 1.23 g/t gold and 16.46 g/t silver, resulting in production of 2,405 gold equivalent ounces.Mill recoveries averaged 8...Read More

The European antimony market continued to be supported last week by tightening supplies in Rotterdam while activity in the Chinese market slowed down due to the week-long Lunar New Year holidays.Metal Bulletin assessed MMTA standard grade II antimony in-warehouse Rotterdam prices at $8,400-8,700 per tonne on Friday February 16, unchanged from Wednesday when prices had moved up from $8,400-8,6...Read More