The Copper/Gold ratio is saying something. That something is that a cyclical, pro-inflation and thus pro-economic reflation metal shown earlier, remaining nominally positive on a down market day has, in relation to gold, taken out two important moving averages (daily SMA 50 & SMA 200) and is currently riding the short-term EMA 20 upward. RSI and MACD are positive.Copper: Pro-cyclical inflation...Read More

Inflation is back. OK, not inflation, but inflation expectations. As the chart below shows, they plunged during the coronavirus crisis, but they have already recovered. Currently, and based on the inflation-protected Treasury yields, Mr. Market expects that inflation will be, on average, 1.5 percent in the next five years and 1.7 percent in the next ten years. Meanwhile, the real bond yields have...Read More

CLEAR PRICE CHANNEL MAY PROMPT BIG BREAKOUT OR BREAKDOWN MOVE IN OILIn this report, I discuss the recent price action in crude oil and how economic conditions and the pennant flag chart pattern is indicating a big price move is about to take place over the next few weeks.  While some of you may want a clear, bold prediction as to whether a breakout or breakdown may happen, as technical trader...Read More

A global boom in home appliance sales during the Covid-19 pandemic is causing a shortage in flat steel supplies in China, and in turn supporting prices, Fastmarkets has heard.Jiang Yuan, deputy director of the Department of Industrial Statistics at the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that China's output of home appliances including fridges and ovens rose by more than 26% year-o...Read More

The Gold price traded to a new all time high to well beyond the $2000 milestone after having held in a trading range at just below $1800 for most of the post corona crash bounce. June saw the gold price further lift it's trading range to $1840 before the fuse was lit and Gold preceded to bust through $1900, and soon above it's previous $1911 all time high, then $2000, finally coming within a whis...Read More

The inflation remains low and below the Fed’s target. So, should gold bulls worry about it?The U.S. CPI inflation rate rose by 0.2 percent in September , following a 0.4 percent increase in August. It was the smallest jump since May. The move was driven by a 6.7- percent spike in the cost of used cars and trucks, and it’s the most significant upward change over half a century. The core...Read More

The European Commission (EC) has opened an anti-dumping (AD) probe into imports of steel wind towers originating in China, the commission said on Wednesday October 21.The investigation started after the European Wind Tower Association lodged a complaint on behalf of European producers on March 17 - the association represents more than 25% of the total European production of steel wind towers.The p...Read More

Peter Krauth explains why he believes investors should hold a position in silver.We're still in the early innings of a precious metals bull market.And if you're wondering whether you need to own some silver, my answer is categorically yes.It's only a matter of degree. With silver that's important because it acts like gold, but on steroids.Silver can languish for extended periods, even if gold move...Read More

Crude steel output in Germany continued to fall in September but the pace of decline is slowing, while output from electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) has shown positive dynamics for the first time since February, German steel federation WV Stahl said on Wednesday October 21. Crude steel production in Germany has been declining since the beginning of 2020 due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on th...Read More

With the presidential election less than a month away, sector expert Michael Ballanger offers a forecast for the gold and silver markets.With a mere twenty-six days to the election of the "leader of the free world," of the richest, most powerful country in human history, financial markets are noticeably apprehensive as to outcome and understandably concerned with the reaction of the two deeply div...Read More

Today’s beaten-down USdollar is a major short-term risk for gold. For decades this yellow metal has often inversely mirrored the fortunesof the world’s reserve currency.  Dollartrends are important trading cues for highly-leveraged gold-futuresspeculators, who wield outsized influence over gold prices.  So an overdue mean-reversion rebound rally eruptingin the US dollar...Read More

Novolipietsk Steel (NLMK) - the largest steel producer in Russia - will start the rolling mill modernization at its Belgian subsidiary NLMK Clabecq, the company said on Tuesday October 20.A ?,?30 million ($35 million) plate rolling mill upgrade will include the installation of a new descaling system with two new descalers and the modernization of the four-stand finishing mill, NLMK said.Despite th...Read More

Biden widened his lead over Trump,while gold jumped above $1,900 again.According to the most recentReuters/Ipsos poll, Biden has increased his presidential race advantage. Now,as the chart below shows, he leads by 7 percent. I don’t trust in opinion polls. And whyis that you might wonder. It is because they measure the popular vote, whichdoesn’t exactly decide who wins the presidency....Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 21 that are worth another look....Read More

By Justin Spittler : My friend who’s a novice investor asked for advice recently. Hewas “bargain hunting” for cheap stocks, and trying to decide betweenbuying Kohl’s (KSS) or ExxonMobil (XOM).Icringed. “Listen,” I told him. “You’re thinking about this all wrong.”I getwhere my friend is coming from. From childhood we’re taug...Read More

They say that time travels are impossible. But we just went back to the 1960s! At least in the field of the monetary policy. And all because of a new Fed’s framework. So, please fasten your seat belts and come with me into the past and present of monetary policy – to determine the future of gold!At the end of August 2020, the Fed has modified its Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monet...Read More

Hot-rolled coil prices in the United States have remained steady above $33.50 per hundredweight ($670 per short ton); meanwhile, market activity has slowed, with buyers waiting to purchase more material amid expected additional increases and rising offer prices.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated $33.57 per cwt ($671.40 per ton) on Wednesday October...Read More

A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday October 21.Please click...Read More

Low demand for heavy steel plate in Europe did not allow steelmakers to achieve their targeted price increases and threatened instead to drag prices downward, sources told Fastmarkets on Wednesday October 21.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel domestic plate, 8-40mm, exw Southern Europe, was unchanged at ?,?460-470 ($543-555) per tonne on October 21.The assessment reflected achievable p...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Wednesday October 21 that are worth another look....Read More