Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange mostly stepped slightly lower during morning trading on Friday January 5 but are generally consolidating at higher levels. Aluminium fell $12.50 but is still in a strong position, with supply-side reforms in China continuing to burnish its underlying fundamentals. The three-month price reached a fresh five-year high at $2,290.50 per tonne on December...Read More
Mercury prices continue to jump due to the lack of availability of the minor metal.Prices climbed to $1,700-2,000 per flask on an in-warehouse basis on Friday January 5, up from $1600-1700 per flask on Wednesday and $1,350-1,450 per flask on November 24.Mercury prices last year were $1,050-1,275 per flask and were largely stable until the Minamata Convention - a treaty to curb exposure to the meta...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
Manganese flake prices rose sharply this week following reports of production stoppages at the world's biggest producer amid ongoing environmental inspections in China. Metal Bulletin's manganese flake in-warehouse Rotterdam price increased to $1,895-2,000 per tonne on Friday January 5, up 3.9% from Wednesday's pricing session when prices had climbed 5.3%. The world's largest manganese flake...Read More
The following Metal Bulletin minor metals prices changed on Friday January 5:Minor metals Bismuth MB China domestic, yuan/tonne: 69,000-70,500 yuan per tonne from 69,000-71,000 yuan Cobalt MB free market high grade, $/lb: $36.75-37.50 per lb from $36.00-37.40 Cobalt MB free market low grade, $/lb: $35.50-37.00 per lb from $35.00-37.00 Cobalt...Read More
Brazil's silicon metal exports fell 16% in 2017 from a year earlier, affected by the dumping and countervailing duty investigations in the United States. The country shipped abroad 155,429 tonnes of silicon metal last year, down from 184,730 tonnes in 2016, according to figures from Brazil's foreign trade ministry, MDIC. Shipments to the...Read More
An overview of China's minor metals markets in the week of January 2-5 and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
China's domestic stainless steel prices rebounded slightly over the past week on gains in the nickel market.Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for benchmark 304 stainless cold-rolled coil in the major market of Wuxi was 15,200-15,500 yuan ($2,339-2,385) per tonne including VAT for the week ended Thursday January 4, narrowing upward from 15,000-15,500 yuan per tonne a week earlier. Market partic...Read More
The following Metal Bulletin non-ferrous European free market scrap prices changed on Friday January 5:Aluminium scrap Cast: ?,?1,185-1,265 per tonne from...Read More
Labor negotiations at several of the world's leading copper mines will increase supply risk in 2018 and could provide support to prices, market analysts said.More than 30 labor contracts are due to be renegotiated next year - the largest number since 2010.This means that nearly 40% of global copper production - or more than 7 million tonnes - could be subject to disruption due to industrial a...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (SMM)? 1/4 ? Nonferrous metals for the most part moved higher today except a slight drop in copper. Zinc rallied in the afternoon with 1% rise at closure while lead and aluminium were up some 0.6%. Both nickel and tin edged up.Ferrous metals were softer with a mixed result. Coking coal and coke were up slightly, while hot-rolled coil dropped 0.67%. Rebar and iron ore also slipped.C...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (SMM)? 1/4 ? Nonferrous metals for the most part moved higher today except a slight drop in copper. Zinc rallied in the afternoon with 1% rise at closure while lead and aluminium were up some 0.6%. Both nickel and tin edged up.Ferrous metals were softer with a mixed result. Coking coal and coke were up slightly, while hot-rolled coil dropped 0.67%. Rebar and iron ore also slipped.C...Read More
SHANGHAI, Jan 5 (SMM)? 1/4 ? Nonferrous metals for the most part moved higher today except a slight drop in copper. Zinc rallied in the afternoon with 1% rise at closure while lead and aluminium were up some 0.6%. Both nickel and tin edged up.Ferrous metals were softer with a mixed result. Coking coal and coke were up slightly, while hot-rolled coil dropped 0.67%. Rebar and iron ore also slipped.C...Read More
By Costas PitasLONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - British new car sales recorded their biggest drop since 2009 last year, falling by more than 5 percent due to uncertainty over potential new diesel charges and weakening consumer confidence since Brexit, an industry body said on Friday. Registrations ended 2017 at around 2.54 million vehicles, according to provisional data, and are set to fall up to 7 perc...Read More
The number to focus on today is the number 10. Gold traders are witnessing a run on the precious yellow metal, now in its 10th day for consecutive price gains. The last time traders witnessed ten consecutive trading days resulting in higher prices was back in 2011. In fact, that rally resulted in a total of 13 consecutive higher trading days, one of the longest consecutive daily price advances in...Read More
(Kitco News) - A Welsh gold mine, which is behind three generations of British royal wedding rings, is planning to reopen after 20 years of inactivity — just in time for the spring royal wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.The gold from the Clogau St David’s mine, located in Bontddu, Snowdonia, was used in royal weddings for the last 90 years.Wedding rings for the Queen, Pri...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold prices are ending the U.S. day session modestly up and were poised to close at a more-than-three-month-high close Thursday. Silver prices were ending near steady and hit a six-week high today. Some early profit-taking pressure was viewed as a bargain buying opportunity by the precious metals bulls. February Comex gold was last up $2.20 an ounce at $1,320.70. March Comex silver...Read More
(Kitco News) - Mining companies need to embrace “disruptive” technology to make the sector more compelling to younger investors and attract new capital, according to one mining executive.Luis Canepari, vice-president of technology at Goldcorp (NYSE: GG, TSX: G, said in a recent interview with Kitco News, that there are a lot of companies doing amazing things with technology that c...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold prices have erased early losses to trade modestly up on the day, in late-morning action Thursday. Given the bullish technical posture of the gold market, at present, traders stepped in to buy the dip in prices, while reckoning there is more on the upside for the yellow metal in the near term. The outside markets are also in a bullish daily posture for the precious metals today,...Read More
(Kitco News) - Kitco aficionados, it is now time to have your say in where you think gold prices are heading in the short-term.Will gold prices go higher, lower or remain unchanged next week? Kitco readers will have until 9 a.m. EDT, Friday to cast their vote. The results will be tabulated and released after noon (12 PM EDT) along with the results from our market professional survey.Readers can al...Read More