After a year focused on re-establishing stability, the London Metal Exchange has started 2018 with its attention on driving more liquidity to the bourse by launching the Introducing Broker membership category and broadening its contract portfolio, says senior metals market consultant Martin Hayes. Twelve months ago, it was fair to say that the LME was facing a period of uncertainty - it had lost i...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals were mixed today with SHFE nickel up over 1% and tin up 0.67%. While aluminium edged up slightly, SHFE lead and zinc were down 0.51% and 0.69% respectively. Ferrous metals weakened this afternoon even though rebar and hot-rolled coil were still up at closure. Coke and coking coal saw drops of 3% and 2% respectively, while iron ore edged down s...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals were mixed today with SHFE nickel up over 1% and tin up 0.67%. While aluminium edged up slightly, SHFE lead and zinc were down 0.51% and 0.69% respectively. Ferrous metals weakened this afternoon even though rebar and hot-rolled coil were still up at closure. Coke and coking coal saw drops of 3% and 2% respectively, while iron ore edged down s...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals were mixed today with SHFE nickel up over 1% and tin up 0.67%. While aluminium edged up slightly, SHFE lead and zinc were down 0.51% and 0.69% respectively. Ferrous metals weakened this afternoon even though rebar and hot-rolled coil were still up at closure. Coke and coking coal saw drops of 3% and 2% respectively, while iron ore edged down s...Read More
China’s producer price index (PPI) in December rose 4.9% from the same month a year ago, higher than the expectation at 4.8%. The growth in December, however, was lower than the 5.8% seen in November.The country’s consumer price index (CPI), on the other hand, rose 1.8% in December, below the expectation at 1.9%. But this is higher than the growth in November at 1.7%. T...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 10 points in pre-opening trade. Signet Jewellers dropped $4.62 to $51.97 after lowering its fourth quarter sales guidance.Lennar fell $1.12 to $65.55 after reporting less than consensus fourth quarter earnings. Nutrien gained $0.12 to US$52.80 after Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage with a Buy rating.Deere improved $...Read More
China’s producer price index (PPI) in December rose 4.9% from the same month a year ago, higher than the expectation at 4.8%. The growth in December, however, was lower than the 5.8% seen in November.The country’s consumer price index (CPI), on the other hand, rose 1.8% in December, below the expectation at 1.9%. But this is higher than the growth in November at 1.7%. T...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM)? 1/4 ? SMM believes the LME zinc price may stay on its current upward-moving track with historical low inventory and demand from the reconstruction activities in the US. However, we also see irrational factors supporting the price rise and potential risks ahead.With stronger LME zinc price but a weaker SHFE contract, there is limited room for marginal supply to go lower wher...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM)? 1/4 ?Copper: There is still room for downward movement for copper prices and we see LME copper likely to trade towards the $7,000/mt level. We expect the LME contract to trade at $7,070-7,130/mt today and the SHFE contract at 54,400-54,900 yuan/mt. Spot premiums are to rise to 30-80 yuan/mt today.Zinc: LME zinc began to slip after touching $3,400/mt and we expect it to trad...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM)? 1/4 ?Copper: There is still room for downward movement for copper prices and we see LME copper likely to trade towards the $7,000/mt level. We expect the LME contract to trade at $7,070-7,130/mt today and the SHFE contract at 54,400-54,900 yuan/mt. Spot premiums are to rise to 30-80 yuan/mt today.Zinc: LME zinc began to slip after touching $3,400/mt and we expect it to trad...Read More
China’s producer price index (PPI) in December rose 4.9% from the same month a year ago, higher than the expectation at 4.8%. The growth in December, however, was lower than the 5.8% seen in November.The country’s consumer price index (CPI), on the other hand, rose 1.8% in December, below the expectation at 1.9%. But this is higher than the growth in November at 1.7%. T...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 10 (SMM)? 1/4 ?Copper: There is still room for downward movement for copper prices and we see LME copper likely to trade towards the $7,000/mt level. We expect the LME contract to trade at $7,070-7,130/mt today and the SHFE contract at 54,400-54,900 yuan/mt. Spot premiums are to rise to 30-80 yuan/mt today.Zinc: LME zinc began to slip after touching $3,400/mt and we expect it to trad...Read More
Domestic prices for steel beams in Europe are predicted to increase over the coming weeks while demand levels and ferrous scrap prices stay firm, market sources told Metal Bulletin on Wednesday January 10.Domestic prices have been unchanged since the end of last year, with the material trading at historic high prices.Mills are hoping to raise prices even higher, however, and one Northern European...Read More
European mills are expected soon to increase their domestic offer prices for hot-rolled coil (HRC) by ?,?20-40 per tonne, sources have told Metal Bulletin.In the meantime, Metal Bulletin's weekly price assessment for domestic HRC in Northern Europe was ?,?540-550 ($645-657) per tonne ex-works on Wednesday January 10, compared with ?,?530-550 per tonne ex-works a week earlier.The assessment represe...Read More
Nickel continued to rally on the London Metal Exchange during afternoon trading on Wednesday January 10, closing in positive territory alongside the rest of the metals.The three-month nickel price closed up 1.8% on Tuesday's close, having hit an intraday high of $13,200 per tonne earlier, thanks to a tighter market and robust demand from the stainless steel sector."We have a constructive view over...Read More
A wave of labor negotiations at several of the world's leading copper mines is taking place this year and could have a significant impact to the global copper supply and prices.Among such talks are BHP-operated Escondida mine, Antofagasta's Los Pelambres and several of Codelco's mines, all in...Read More
The London Metal Exchange closed 2017 in positive fashion as average daily volume (ADV) climbed 19.3% after two previous months of decline. Lead was the strongest performer, with ADV climbing over 50% from December 2016 with 55,717 lots. Last month, lead was the only base metal to record a significant year-on-year increase. Copper's ADV was up 24.3% from the previous year to 150,723 lots, after it...Read More
Metals merchant Traxys has hired Paolo Cabrejos to lead and expand its West Latin American trading unit starting this month. Cabrejos was formerly the commercial manager at Peruvian zinc-lead-silver miner Volcan Compa???-a Minera but departed when the miner was...Read More
A restart of production operations at the Ambatovy nickel-cobalt joint venture in Madagascar following a recent tropical cyclone has been delayed to the end of the month due to equipment damage, according to Sherritt International. In particular, damage incurred by the acid production facilities will require repairs that will affect the pace of ramp production up again, the Canada-based company sa...Read More
Comex copper prices bounced back on the morning of Wednesday January 10 morning thanks to a weaker dollar, having previously fallen for three consecutive sessions.Comex copper prices bounced-back Wednesday morning after sliding for three straight sessions amid dollar weakness.Copper for March settlement on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange rose 2.85 cents or 0.9% to $3.2445 pe...Read More