(Kitco News) - Gold held by global exchange-traded funds increased by 197.5 tonnes in 2017, a gain of 8.4%, said the World Gold Council in its monthly report on Tuesday.The rise last year was largely driven by European ETFs, which represented 75% of all total inflows by adding 148.6 tonnes of gold ($5.8 billion) to their holdings.In turn, the European market was dominated by Germany. “German...Read More
The metals are in the middle of a major bull-bear debate, as witnessed by the last few trading days. After breaking out on Jan. 2 and making recent highs on Jan. 4, metals have started to move sideways to lower. The pattern is typical of a market topping, and this should be the top in gold and silver for now. Volume also peaked on Jan. 4, giving all the indications that the metals were ready to t...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday January 9.Aluminium was the only metal to end lower at the end of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday January 8. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Monday.NFEx Markets' chief operating officer and its most senior director, Mark Bradley, has resigned from the...Read More
The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Tuesday January 9.Aluminium was the only metal to end lower at the end of trading on the London Metal Exchange on Monday January 8. Read more in our live futures report.Here are how prices looked at the end of the day on Monday.NFEx Markets' chief operating officer and its most senior director, Mark Bradley, has resigned from the...Read More
INTL FCStone has merged its London Metal Exchange and precious metals departments, with the new unit headed by Barry Canham, the company said. In an email to the company's global metals team and seen by Metal Bulletin, INTL chief executive officer (CEO) for EMEA and Asia Philip Smith said that the move was made following the decision by Malcolm Leonard to retire after 46 years working in LME metal...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly lower at the close on Tuesday January 9, with only nickel trading in positive territory. The three-month nickel price climbed $160 per tonne higher while the cash/January-2018 nearby spread moved into a $3 per tonne backwardation. "The LME nickel market has tightened slightly since the start of the year, judging by the contraction in the...Read More
High zinc prices could eventually lead to an irreversible dent in consumption of the metal, specifically in the form of zinc alloys in electric vehicles, market participants told Metal Bulletin.Substitution out of zinc is likeliest in the alloys sector, a zinc producer told Metal Bulletin, estimating that up to 3-5% of usage of metal at current levels could be at risk - albeit over a matter of yea...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices continued to soften over the past week amid operational restarts in the country's Ningxia province, while the European market reached new highs on tightened supply. Chinese domestic prices edge lower amid production restarts Chinese exporters drop offers amid lack of buying interest European market realizes new highs on thin supplyUS spot market falls dormant, prices o...Read More
Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) and ferro-vanadium prices had a strong start to 2018 last week, with supply concerns in focus as the markets came back from the Christmas break. Chinese V2O5 prices soar with upstream constraints in focusFerro-vanadium leads the way in Europe US ferro-vanadium prices higher but spot activity 'just getting started'Vanadium prices in China jumped last week amid limited sup...Read More
Benchmark alumina prices fell on Tuesday January 9, with limited buying interest seen for spot cargoes in the Pacific market, despite a recovery in smelter margins.Metal Bulletin's daily fob Australia alumina index was calculated at $390.43 per tonne on Tuesday, down from $393.36 per tonne the previous day.Market participants foresaw a price floor for the raw material last week, citing stronger al...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices continued to soften over the past week amid operational restarts in the country's Ningxia province, while the European market reached new highs on tightened supply. Chinese domestic prices edge lower amid production restarts Chinese exporters drop offers amid lack of buying interest European market realizes new highs on thin supplyUS spot market falls dormant, prices o...Read More
Vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) and ferro-vanadium prices had a strong start to 2018 last week, with supply concerns in focus as the markets came back from the Christmas break. Chinese V2O5 prices soar with upstream constraints in focusFerro-vanadium leads the way in Europe US ferro-vanadium prices higher but spot activity 'just getting started'Vanadium prices in China jumped last week amid limited sup...Read More
Chinese ferro-silicon prices continued to soften over the past week amid operational restarts in the country's Ningxia province, while the European market reached new highs on tightened supply. Chinese domestic prices edge lower amid production restarts Chinese exporters drop offers amid lack of buying interest European market realizes new highs on thin supplyUS spot market falls dormant, prices o...Read More
Turkish steel mills continued their February bookings of scrap imports from the Baltic Sea region on Tuesday January 9, with the United States market still quiet because of the heavy winter conditions.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region booked a Baltic Sea cargo, comprising 24,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $374 per tonne, 5,000 tonnes of bonus at $384 per tonne and 1,000 tonnes of...Read More
INTL FCStone has merged its London Metal Exchange and precious metals departments, with the new unit headed by Barry Canham, the company said. In an email to the company's global metals team and seen by Metal Bulletin, INTL chief executive officer (CEO) for EMEA and Asia Philip Smith said that the move was made following the decision by Malcolm Leonard to retire after 46 years working in LME metal...Read More
Comex copper prices weakened Tuesday January 9 morning in the US, although the complex remains well-supported due to positive Chinese and US data released in the past few weeks.Copper for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange dipped 0.70 cents or 0.2% to $3.2170 per lb."We remain bullish for copper's fundamentals and the price's action seems to be supporting th...Read More
Base metals prices trading on the London Metal Exchange are generally higher this morning, Tuesday January 9, with copper ($7,159 per tonne), aluminium, nickel and zinc up by between 0.2% and 0.5%, while tin prices are little changed and lead prices are bucking the trend with a 0.3% decline to $2,598 per tonne.Volume has been average, with 7,103 lots traded as of 07.23 am London time. This follows...Read More
Flat steel buyers in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia preferred to delay their purchasing and see how the imposition of new 5% VAT regimes in both countries affects the market, sources told Metal Bulletin on Tuesday January 10.The UAE and Saudi Arabia both imposed a 5% rate of VAT with effect from January 1, 2018.The resulting confusion in the markets has seen buyers refrain from buying n...Read More
The upcoming Lunar New Year period is expected to dampen demand for steel in Asia, although the extent to which it does so continues to depend on the ongoing winter production cuts in China that are scheduled to last until mid-March this year.The Lunar New Year festival is celebrated in many Asian countries including South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, which typically declare sho...Read More
China's ferrous futures remained in positive territoryat lunchtime close on Tuesday January 9 despite being flat or slightly lower from their opening prices, after the Chinese government announcement of stricter rules on new steel capacity released had led to a spike in futures on Monday afternoon.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 3,821 ($588) per tonne,...Read More