U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 19 points in pre-opening trade.Johnson & Johnson advanced $5.34 to $128.50 after announcing plans to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.Abbott Labs (ABT $74.56) is expected to open higher after announcing plans to launch a rapid test for COVID-19.Canada Goose gained $0.30 to $20.52 after Wells Fargo upgraded the st...Read More
The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange closed below the $4,800-per-tonne psychological threshold on Friday March 27, finishing at the day $4,790.50 per tonne with a turnover of just 11,475 lots.The underlying price hit an intraday high of $4,866.50 per tonne and a low of $4,768.50 per tonne on Friday.Copper's total LME on-warrant inventories remain high, at 177,025 tonnes o...Read More
A summary of the full-year financial performance of Chilean copper producer Codelco in 2019, as stated in its earnings report on Friday March 27.In brief Heavy rainfall in northern Chile alongside a strike at the Chuquicamata division reduced output during the first half of 2019, but activities recovered during the last half of the year. Codelco produced 710,000 tonnes in copper content durin...Read More
The Zambian government will remove the 5% import duty on metal concentrates to ease the pressure on copper and cobalt producers during global lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the Covid-19 virus and and sharp declines in commodity prices. This is among a series of relief measures announced by the country's finance minister, Bwalya Ng'andu, on Friday March 27, in an official statement which a...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
The copper concentrate spot market has become active in Europe, Japan and South Korea as smelters look to cover tonnages disrupted by shutdowns and logistics hitches. Chinese smelters remain well covered.Fastmarkets' copper concentrates TC index, cif Asia Pacific dropped to $63.20 per tonne / 6.32 cents per lb, down from $66.70 / 6.67 cents, its lowest since February 7.Impact of virus-led lockdown...Read More
Fastmarkets reviews the week's developments in South African ores and alloys supply following the lockdown order from President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday March 23 amid the spread of Covid-19. Mines and smelters across the country were ordered to shut down by midnight on March 26. South Africa's largest manganese miner declares force majeure Miner Tshipi e Ntle declared force majeure on mangan...Read More
A summary of the full-year financial performance of Chilean copper producer Codelco in 2019, as stated in its earnings report on Friday March 27.In brief Heavy rainfall in northern Chile alongside a strike at the Chuquicamata division reduced output during the first half of 2019, but activities recovered during the last half of the year. Codelco produced 710,000 tonnes in copper content durin...Read More
An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for their latest price moves.Read More
The Zambian government will remove the 5% import duty on metal concentrates to ease the pressure on copper and cobalt producers during global lockdowns imposed to halt the spread of the Covid-19 virus and and sharp declines in commodity prices. This is among a series of relief measures announced by the country's finance minister, Bwalya Ng'andu, on Friday March 27, in an official statement which a...Read More
The price of austenitic alloy steel scrap in Europe plunged this week because of a sharp drop in demand, despite a lack of availability, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 27.The low demand has stemmed from a mixture of closures and reduced output rates at stainless steel mills, meaning a reduction in their feedstock requirements. In Italy, all mills have suspended operations following a gov...Read More
The price of ferrous scrap imported into India plummeted this week after the announcement of a 21-day lockdown across the country, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 27.Fastmarkets calculated the steel scrap, shredded, index, import, cfr Nhava Sheva, India, at $247 per tonne on Friday. This was down by $44 per tonne from $291 per tonne one week earlier and at its lowest since October 24, 201...Read More
The inter-merchant spot market for light iron scrap in the UK dropped by more than 23% in the week to Friday March 27, after a fall of almost 19% the previous week, and now stands at its lowest level since September 2016.The slump follows a collapse in demand for steel from car makers in the UK and Europe, with many car makers suspending output until further notice. Much of the UK's steel producti...Read More
Markets are looking quite mixed this morning, Friday March 27, with most Asian-Pacific equity indices up, the pre-market Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) down by 1.1%, while base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange are up and gold is down from recent highs.It is not surprising the markets are mixed as it is confusing that the DJIA rallied by 6.4% on Thursday...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Fastmarkets is proposing to increase the pricing frequency of its cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, to twice weekly from weekly.The cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end), is currently published weekly, on Wednesdays.Following an initial consultation with the market, and a review of typical...Read More
Key data from the Friday March 27 pricing session in Shanghai.Key drivers The cobalt metal price took a break from its persistent downturn amid the supply disruptions following the 21-day lockdown in South Africa, which started midnight on Thursday March 26. Producers have attempted to raise offers while traders continued to destock...Read More
ArcelorMittal will idle the No3 blast furnace at its integrated slab and flat steel Tubar??o facility, in the country's southeastern Esp?-rito Santo state, because of impacts from the spread of the novel coronavirus, the company said on Friday March 27.The blast furnace at the Tubar??o unit, which has capacity to produce 2.8 million tonnes of crude steel per year, will be halted in early April for...Read More
European domestic prices for hot-rolled coil have not changed despite the decline in import offers, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday March 27.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was unchanged day on day at ?,?473.00 ($518.70) per tonne on March 27.Friday's index was calculated based on offer prices heard at ?,?470-480 per tonne ex-works as well as "work...Read More
The price of hot-rolled coil exported from India plunged by $60 per tonne in the week ended Friday March 27, with the country going into compete lockdown on the Wednesday to try to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.Fastmarkets assessed the price of steel HRC, export, fob main port India, at $390-395 per tonne on Friday, down from last week's assessment at $450-455 per tonne."The domestic...Read More