Prices dragged down again, but still relatively resilient Lead prices dropped to a low of $2,307 per tonne last week, extending the fall from $2,385 per tonne the week before. Since the June high, prices have now fallen 9.7 percent, while the other metals, with the exception of tin, have fallen between 12% and 17.2%. While the lead market continues to tighten in China, it has now started to show s...Read More
Solid fundamentals protecting the downside Nickel has been undergoing a healthy corrective move lower, alongside the other base metals as traders adjust to concerns that the US-China trade war may damage economic growth. Unlike some of its peers, however, nickels correction has been in an orderly fashion, with prices trading either side of $14,000 per tonne at the moment. Further downside sh...Read More
Good call on Q2 tin price The LME Q2 average cash tin price ended up at $20,961 per tonne, fractionally short of our long-standing forecast of $21,000 per tonne. We stood by this forecast as prices attempted to rechallenge the $22,000 per tonne highs in April, and then fell precipitously at times after that. Here we review some of the key factors that shaped tin market sentiment last quarter and l...Read More
Rebound falters Amid volatility across the base metals, zinc staged a modest end-of-week rebound on Friday, closing up 2.2% or $58 on the day, after the dip to a one-year low of $2,667 per tonne on Thursday seemed a step too far. But while the complex as a whole is in a steadier mood at the start of this week, LME zinc prices have bucked the trend, with the current chart figuration suggesting over...Read More
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Click here to download the Selected Demand IndicatorsACCESS RESTRICTEDTo read the rest of this analysis please take a free sample or subscribeFREE SampleReceive a free sample of market analysis and price forecasts.Free SampleSUBSCRIBEReceive unlimited access to all current and archive content going back to 2008 including downloadable pricing data and forecasts.Plus download the lat...Read More
FTSE 250 company TP ICAP, the parent company of London Metal Exchange member firm Tullett Prebon, parted company with chief executive officer John Phizackerley on Tuesday July 10 amid increasing operating costs.The value of TP ICAP's shares dropped by as much as 36% at one point.The news from the company, which is the world's largest inter-dealer broker, was accompanied by comments saying...Read More
U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 4 points in pre-opening trade.Pepsico gained $3.64 to $111.40 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter revenues and core earnings.Celgene advanced $1.30 to $85.15 after reporting positive results in a breast cancer trial.eBay slipped $0.66 to $37.25 after SunTrust downgraded the stock to Hold from Buy.Urban...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices continued to rise on Tuesday July 10 on supply concerns in the country's steelmaking hub of Tangshan in the northern region.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,230-4,250 yuan ($639-642) per tonne, up 30 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,110-4,120 yuan per tonne, narrowing upward 10 yuan per tonneHRC prices rose following the circulation of a document...Read More
Antimony prices were stable in Europe over the past week, while prices in China moved down slightly amid continued sluggish demand. Prices for antimony with bismuth content below 100ppm or trioxide-grade in-warehouse Rotterdam stood at $7,900-8,150 per tonne on Friday, unchanged from the mid-week assessment when prices had remained stable."I've been trying to get offers below the Metal Bulletin lo...Read More
Global crude stainless steel production totaled 12.77 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2018, according to figures released by the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) on Tuesday July 10.This was up by 9.5% year-on-year from the revised figure of 11.66 million tonnes produced in the first quarter of 2017.Stainless steel production in Russia, Brazil, South Korea, South Africa and Indones...Read More
Gold futures gained $2.60 in trading today and is currently fixed at $1,258.40. Gold traded to the highest level in the last eight days when, on an intraday basis, it traded to $1,266.90.Although the dollar finished in positive territory, it was dollar weakness that was the underlying factor taking gold prices to their intraday high. As in previous weeks, gold pricing continues to be most influenc...Read More
(Kitco News) - Geopolitical uncertainty is causing gold prices to spike in the United Kingdom as investors react to two high-profile resignations Monday.Spot gold, priced in British pounds, has spiked higher and is holding on to gains as uncertainty ripples through the country following the resignation of Brexit Minister David Davis and British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson. Spot gold against the...Read More
(Kitco News) - Gold and silver prices are modestly higher in early-afternoon U.S. trading Monday. Mild support comes from some bargain hunting in the cash market and short covering in the futures market, following recent losses that drove the two precious metals prices to multi-month lows last week. The metals were well down from their daily highs as the U.S. dollar index recovered early losses to...Read More
(Kitco News) - Expected exponential demand for electric vehicles (EV) is breathing new life into a well-established polymetallic project in Canada’s Yukon Territory.Nickel Creek Platinum (TSX: NCP), formerly known as Wellgreen Platinum is well positioned to take advantage of growing need for battery-grade nickel sulfide, according to the company executives.It has been nearly two years since...Read More
INTL FCStone looks for gold prices to perform better in July than they did during a “miserable” month for the metal in June. Analysts expressed surprise that gold fell last month, considering the dollar index “flatlined,” Treasury yields fell, inflation picked up in the U.S. and Europe and equity markets were wobbly. They chalked up gold’s declines to the general rout...Read More
(Kitco News) - Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX, TSX: ABX) has entered into an “enhanced strategic cooperation agreement” to share information with China’s Shandong Gold Group Co., Ltd. and possibly undertake new projects or acquisitions together, Barrick said Monday.The document builds on an April 2017 deal in which Shandong acquired 50% of Barrick’s Veladero mine in Argentin...Read More
As we wrote on Friday, gold had at least another $20 to rally before it would find resistance. Gold is now up $15 from Friday's low and should start to run into some resistance. The $1,275 level should act as the first stopping point for this current rally. The rally -- whether it's real or just a dead-cat bounce from oversold conditions --should see some sellers come in between $1,275 an...Read More
Coeur Mining, Inc. (NYSE: CDE) has upped full-year production guidance. The company lists second-quarter production of 3.2 million ounces of silver and 94,052 ounces of gold, or 8.8 million silver-equivalent ounces. Output was higher than in the year-ago period at most Coeur mines. The company says it hiked full-year production guidance to a range of 37.3 million to 40.5 million silver-equivalent...Read More
NEW MADRID COUNTY, Mo. (Reuters) - People don't talk about trade tariffs in this stretch of the Mississippi River basin, where grains and metals have paid the bills for generations.They skirt the subject at church fundraisers and sidestep it at Jerry's Caf?(C) and Quick Stop, where farmers and aluminum workers gossip about everything else.Here, the winners and losers in U.S. President Donald Trump...Read More