U.S. equity index futures were mixed this morning. S&P 500 futures were unchanged in pre-opening trade.Index futures were virtually unchanged following release of November New Housing Starts. Consensus was an increase to 1.344 million units from an upwardly revised 1.323 million units in October. Actual was 1.365 million units.Johnson & Johnson added $1.71 to $143.50 after Morgan Stanley u...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday December 13 that are worth another look.The digitization of the iron ore market took another step forward this week with trader Cargill completing its first e-contract transaction for iron ore with a Chinese steelmaker, Ningbo Iron & Steel.Chinese copper smelter Jiangxi Copper and Zambian blister copper producer Chambishi (CCS) h...Read More
Turkey is calling for a level playing field when it comes to trading with the European Union and the United States, Turkish steelmakers said during a panel discussion at Fastmarkets' Middle East Iron and Steel conference in Dubai.Speaking on Tuesday December 10 in a panel discussion about the protectionism Turkish steel faces in its major steel export markets, panelists said they were on...Read More
Major Chinese steelmakers' daily crude steel output dropped in late November, according to data released by the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) on Tuesday December 10.Daily crude steel output November 21-30:...Read More
China's finished steel exports decreased on a year-on-year basis in November, according preliminary Chinese customs data released on Sunday December 8.November exports: 4.56 million tonnes...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday December 13 that are worth another look.The digitization of the iron ore market took another step forward this week with trader Cargill completing its first e-contract transaction for iron ore with a Chinese steelmaker, Ningbo Iron & Steel.Chinese copper smelter Jiangxi Copper and Zambian blister copper producer Chambishi (CCS) h...Read More
A string of long-term deals for cobalt hydroxide show that bullish forecasts for cobalt consumption from the electric vehicle (EV) sector are coming into play. Glencore will supply battery manufacturer SK Innovation with up to 30,000 tonnes of cobalt contained in hydroxide over six years, it said last week - a deal worth about $1 billion in today's market. And other deals also point...Read More
If you are a producer or consumer, or are active in the physical markets, then you had better be aware of a new set of regulations that will make it all the more important for you to choose the right logistics partner from next year.The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has ruled that from January 1, 2020, the marine sector will have to reduce sulfur emissions by more than 80% by switching...Read More
Most major aluminium producers agree that tackling the carbon intensity of the smelting process is one of the biggest challenges facing their industry. What they cannot agree on is how to deal with the situation, as a lively panel hosted by Fastmarkets during LME Week at the end of October showed. Aluminium smelting is an energy-intensive business and the market is starting to differentiate b...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Friday December 13 that are worth another look.The digitization of the iron ore market took another step forward this week with trader Cargill completing its first e-contract transaction for iron ore with a Chinese steelmaker, Ningbo Iron & Steel.Chinese copper smelter Jiangxi Copper and Zambian blister copper producer Chambishi (CCS) h...Read More
Broader markets are generally upbeat this morning, Monday December 16, helped by last week’s partial United States-China trade deal and some positive economic data out of China.But the base metals are mixed and gold prices are up, which suggests there is still some concern about the terms of the trade deal.Chinese industrial production rose 6.2% in November, up from 4.7% previously while reta...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P500 futures were up 14 points in pre-opening trade.Cineplex (CPX $24.01) is expected to open higher after Cineworld offered to acquire the company for $34 per share cash. Value of the offer is $2.1 billion.International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF $133.98) has agreed to merge with Dupont's nutrition unit in a deal valued at $26.2 billion....Read More
Aluminium foundry alloy premiums continued to falter, with the US premium hitting a record low, due to bearish macroeconomics and weak fundamentals.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium wheel alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium, dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest US at 7-10 cents per lb on Friday December 13, down from 8-11 cents per lb in the previous monthly assessment.The previous all-time low was 8-10...Read More
Nickel ended firmly above $14,000 per tonne in London Metal Exchange trading on Friday December 13 while copper stepped back after peaking earlier at its highest since May.The three-month nickel price closed at $14,170 per tonne, not far back from an intraday high of $14,270 per tonne. Turnover was at its highest since October 14 at around 11,800 lots by the close. The metal shrugged off inflows o...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Europe, Asia and the United States for the week ending Friday December 13. China The low-grade manganese ore indices rose week on week after buyers accepted slightly higher offer prices for limited quantities of material available for January delivery. The high-grade manganese ore index also moved up amid low liquidity. Some market participants expect mi...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday December 13. China The Chinese spot domestic ferro-chrome price continued lower with smaller smelters making aggressive offers to destock and generate cash approaching the end of the year. Sentiment further weakened amid anticipation that major stainless steel mills' alloy tender prices...Read More
Chinese copper smelter Jiangxi Copper and Zambian blister copper producer Chambishi (CCS) have signed a 2020 supply contract at a refining charge (RC) of $128 per tonne cif China, Fastmarkets learned. This RC number, which some in the market set contracts for other blister brands against, is significantly lower than last year's $165 per tonne and reflects anticipated tightness in the supply o...Read More
Aluminium foundry alloy premiums continued to falter, with the US premium hitting a record low, due to bearish macroeconomics and weak fundamentals.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium wheel alloy silicon 7 ingot/T-bar premium, dlvd dup over P1020A Midwest US at 7-10 cents per lb on Friday December 13, down from 8-11 cents per lb in the previous monthly assessment.The previous all-time low was 8-10...Read More