Editor's Note: Welcome to Kitco's new Bitcoin Daily Technical Alert. Every trading day veteran Kitco technical analyst Jim Wyckoff will provide you with a concise and easy-to-understand near-term technical brief on Bitcoin. Importantly, Jim will glean the short-term charts and technical studies, and then alert you to the signals he sees regarding upcoming potential bigger price moves or price tren...Read More
The struggles for gold continue, as commercials are short the metal in record numbers. Interestingly enough, their short position in silver has never been this small. The commercials aren't always right, but it's hard to fight them because of the amount of capital they have at their disposal. Gold remains weak and every rally is met by sellers, with gold making lower highs and lower lows, indicati...Read More
SHANGHAI, May 7 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last weekend and what is expected today.Last weekendThe US dollar index surged and hit a four-month high at 92.90 last Friday, given the upbeat economic outlook, despite the nonfarm payrolls came out below expectation.Most base metals rose as the US-China trade negotiations made some progress. LME aluminium jumped 2.6% an...Read More
SHANGHAI, May 7 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last weekend and what is expected today.Last weekendThe US dollar index surged and hit a four-month high at 92.90 last Friday, given the upbeat economic outlook, despite the nonfarm payrolls came out below expectation.Most base metals rose as the US-China trade negotiations made some progress. LME aluminium jumped 2.6% an...Read More
SHANGHAI, May 7 (SMM) – This is a roundup of global macroeconomic news last weekend and what is expected today.Last weekendThe US dollar index surged and hit a four-month high at 92.90 last Friday, given the upbeat economic outlook, despite the nonfarm payrolls came out below expectation.Most base metals rose as the US-China trade negotiations made some progress. LME aluminium jumped 2.6% an...Read More
Global billet prices moved in different directions during the week ended Friday May 4, with limited supply and improved demand pushing prices up for Southeast Asia's imports, China's domestic market and Turkey's exports.On the other hand, poor demand and market uncertainty led to stable or falling export prices in the Middle East and CIS regions.AsiaSoutheast Asia's billet import prices moved up f...Read More
MMG's Dugald River zinc mine in Australia achieved commercial production on May 1, the company said on Monday May 7.Dugald River has been online since November 8, 2017, with its first shipment of approximately 10,500 wet metric tonnes (wmt) of zinc concentrate to China on December 16.MMG produced 47,138 tonnes of zinc in concentrate in this year's first quarter, up 45% from the previous quarter, i...Read More
Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly up during Asian morning trading on Monday May 7, with the complex benefiting from a slightly easier dollar. The dollar index was down by 0.1% at 92.47 as at 11am Shanghai time, this after it had spiked to a high of 92.91 last Friday despite disappointing US employment data for April - see data section below.Aluminium prices have foun...Read More
ED&F Man Capital Markets Ltd has appointed Fred Demler as the company's executive vice president and global head of metals, the first time the international financial brokerage firm has created such a role. Demler, who will be based in New York, will be responsible for ED&F Man's global sales and trading staff, working with them to help service and develop the firm's growing client base. It marks...Read More
Both the European spot and Chinese export ammonium paratungstate (APT) markets saw a greater number of inquiries over the past week amid persistent worries about possible supply disruptions in China resulting from ongoing environmental inspections in the country's Jiangxi province - a major production hub for APT. Concerns over disruptions at APT smelters in Jiangxi province continued More inquiri...Read More
Afarak has warned it expects to report a loss for the first quarter of 2018, citing a 30% drop in the benchmark price for ferro-chrome, higher raw materials costs and the appreciation of the South African rand.The London and Helsinki-listed mining and metallurgical group, which operates the Mogale Alloys chrome operation in South Africa, expects to report negative earnings before interest, taxes,...Read More
Afarak has warned it expects to report a loss for the first quarter of 2018, citing a 30% drop in the benchmark price for ferro-chrome, higher raw materials costs and the appreciation of the South African rand.The London and Helsinki-listed mining and metallurgical group, which operates the Mogale Alloys chrome operation in South Africa, expects to report negative earnings before interest, taxes,...Read More
Persistently weak demand in both the Chinese and European antimony markets continued to exert downward pressure on spot prices over the past week.Metal Bulletin assessed the Chinese MMTA standard grade II, delivered duty paid, antimony price at 51,000-51,500 yuan ($8,018-8,096) per tonne on Wednesday May 2, down from 51,500-52,000 yuan in the prior week."Demand from domestic downstream industries...Read More
Chinese silicon export prices edged up last week despite the limited number of trades seen following China's Labour Day break (April 29-May 1), with a greater number of inquiries from regions other than Japan boosting sentiment in the country's export market.Metal Bulletin assessed the China grade 553 silicon export price at $1,910-1,960 per tonne on Friday May 4, up by 0.5% from $1,900-1,950 per...Read More
The European Commission (EC) said on Monday May 7 it has conditionally approved the acquisition of Italian steel producer Ilva by ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steelmaker.The decision is dependent on the divestiture of an extensive remedy package proposed by ArcelorMittal to preserve effective competition in the European steel market, according to the EC."Today's decision makes sure that Arce...Read More
China's domestic hot-rolled coil prices were mixed on Monday May 7, with the market in the east of the country in positive territory and that in the north, down.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 4,200-4,220 yuan ($660-663) per tonne, up 20 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Tianjin): 4,050-4,070 yuan per tonne, down 30 yuan per tonneSpot prices edged up in the eastern market following the earlier gains...Read More
Ferrous futures in China posted further gains during morning trading on Monday May 7 amid spot price increases and China opening up iron futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange to overseas traders last Friday.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange October rebar: 3,679 yuan ($578) per tonne, up 44 yuan per tonneOctober hot-rolled coil: 3,765 yuan per tonne, up 44 yuan p...Read More
Import prices for rebar in Singapore were up over the past week due to higher offers for China-origin materials.There were mainly only China-origin mill cargoes in the spot market, with about three Chinese mills offering export materials. This included a major Chinese mill offering rebar at $570 per tonne fob China, and two others which followed its lead.Singapore buyers said they were getting off...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices dropped on Monday May 7 following falls in the billet market over the weekend. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,000-4,050 yuan ($629-637) per tonne, down 50-60 yuan per tonneNorthern China (Beijing): 3,890-3,940 yuan per tonne, widened down 20 yuan per tonneBillet prices dropped sharply during the weekend on high selling interest, which prompted rebar traders to c...Read More
Physical iron ore prices stayed rangebound on Monday May 7 amid weakness in the steel markets.Metal Bulletin 62% Fe Iron Ore Index: $67.26 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.98 per tonne Metal Bulletin 58% Fe Premium Index: $55.56 per tonne cfr Qingdao, down by $0.06 per tonne Metal Bulletin 65% Fe Iron Ore Index: $85.30 per tonne cfr Qingdao, up by $0.40 per tonneMetal Bulletin 62% Fe China Port Pri...Read More