LONDON, 2 March 2021 - BullionVault is a contributor today to the special 100th edition of The Alchemist, the gold-market magazine for members of the London Bullion Market Association."Although produced primarily for its membership around the world, The Alchemist has always opened up its pages to external voices and views," writes director of research Adrian Ash.That has included controversy and a...Read More

LONDON, 17 February 2021 - Platinum investment on BullionVault has jumped over the last 12 months of Covid Crisis reports South Africa's Mining Weekly today, with client holdings of the industrially useful precious metal rising 90% by weight and 120% in value to $61 million."By comparison," says the specialist news-site, reporting figures shared by the World Platinum Investment Council, "client ho...Read More

Gold scored some victories over thepast days, but it’s playing a risky game. One misstep and the yellow metalmight lose the war.Sometimes, a good strategist needs togive up a few battles to eventually win the war. Or, at least, convince theirenemy that they’re defeated while preparing a counterattack. Just the same, achess player may need to sacrifice a piece in order to checkmate a ki...Read More

Gold bugs are closely watching what happens with Treasuries. Last year, the gold price hit a record high of $2,034/oz, largely due to the fact that investors were piling into bonds as a safe haven against pandemic-related uncertainty. A descending US dollar and negative real rates (when bond yields minus the inflation rate fall below 0%) were also important antecedents. Over the past several weeks...Read More

LONDON, 16 December 2020 - Exclusive analysis from BullionVault is published today by Investment International, the magazine for cross-border financial advisors."This year's record investment inflows to gold will be hard to repeat," writes director of research Adrian Ash."But absent a new leg higher in the volume of real money inflows, that will still leave a rebound in Asian consumer demand - pos...Read More

Eastern China's Shagang will participate in a mixed ownership reform of central China's Anyang Iron & Steel, and the former is likely to emerge as the controlling shareholder in the latter, according to a notice released by Anyang Steel late on Thursday May 13.The change in shareholding will neither influence the steel production of the two mills - based in the provinces of Jiangsu and Henan...Read More

Import prices for flat-rolled steel in South America increased once again in the week ended Friday May 14, with all products above $1,000 per tonne - some for the first time ever - on significantly higher offers from all origins.Despite an export tax rebate in China being cut only for heavy plate, hot-rolled coil and pre-painted across the flat steel space, the effect was spilling over through the...Read More

Slab export prices from Brazil increased again amid high demand and a volatile raw materials' market.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil was $950-980 per tonne on Friday May 14, up by $40-50 from $900-940 per tonne on May 7.Early in the week, offers and deals from Brazil were at $950 per tonne fob. But producers...Read More

The United States' pig iron import prices rose further during the week to Friday May 14, with suppliers bullish amid increased demand due to buyers' need to restock. Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, import, cfr Gulf of Mexico, US, was at $640-650 per tonne on Friday, up by $15-20 from $620-635 per tonne the previous week.Offers from Russia was heard in excess of $700 per tonne cfr...Read More

Surging steel demand in the majority of global markets pushed prices up in most regions in the week to Friday May 14. Only the United States deep-sea ferrous scrap market remained inactive, while Chinese scrap prices fell victim to softer prices for finished steel products.Turkey secured European scrap at an increase to satisfy surging finished steel demandHigher offers failed to tempt US exporter...Read More

Copper's price on the London Metal Exchange ended the week lower despite hitting an all-time record high on Monday May 10, with the rest of the complex was also down on the week despite slight rises day on day on Friday. The three-month copper price was down at $10,240 per tonne on Friday May 14 at the close, which is some 1% lower than Thursday's 5pm price of $10,342 per tonne. Copper traded at...Read More

Iron ore prices fell sharply on Friday May 14 amid concerns over weakened steel demand, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $208.79 per tonne, down by $28.78 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $211.19 per tonne, down by $28.81 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $179.29 per tonne, down by $27.93 per tonne65% Fe Brazil-origin fines, cf...Read More

Seaborne coking coal prices surged up in both the cfr and fob markets on Friday May 14 due to increased buying interest and positive market sentiment in both markets. Prices for seaborne pulverized coal injection (PCI) material continued to increase in the cfr market in the week to May 14, due to persistent supply tightness and relatively good demand, but remained largely stable in the fob market...Read More

An overview of the new energy materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Susan Zou, Yingchi Yang, and Sybil...Read More

The price of secondary steel billet in the Indian local market rose by 1,000 rupees ($14) per tonne in the week to Friday May 14 on rising raw material prices and an increase in export opportunities for secondary billet made through the induction furnace (IF) route."Prices of raw materials such as direct-reduction iron [DRI] have increased because most kilns have reduced production, while opportun...Read More

Copper's price on the London Metal Exchange ended the week lower despite hitting an all-time record high on Monday May 10, with the rest of the complex was also down on the week despite slight rises day on day on Friday. The three-month copper price was down at $10,240 per tonne on Friday May 14 at the close, which is some 1% lower than Thursday's 5pm price of $10,342 per tonne. Copper traded at...Read More

Primary aluminium foundry alloy (PFA) premiums in Europe and the United States remained well-supported at historical high levels on Friday May 14.Premiums for PFA in Europe were little changed month-on-month at an all-time high, underpinned by expensive regional upstream P1020 premiums.Fastmarkets assessed the aluminium primary foundry alloy, silicon 7 ingot premium, ddp Eastern Europe, at $440-50...Read More

Fastmarkets' copper concentrates treatment charge/refining charge (TC/RC) index rose marginally in the week to May 14.Deals to smelters were reported in the mid $30s per tonne while bids came in at the high $30s to low $40s, with major Chinese smelters still carrying out...Read More

Treatment charges for spot zinc concentrate continued to trend higher in the two weeks to Friday May 14, with miners responding to soaring prices by increasing production. Small increase in traded terms for spot concentrate Several tenders out from mining companies Freight rates rising from South America Fastmarkets assessed the zinc spot concentrate TC, cif China at $68-85 per ton...Read More

London-based investment firm Appian Capital Advisory is selling the mining royalty for the Chilean Caserones copper mine to Nomad Royalty, a Canadian-based gold mining company, it said on Friday May 14. "The royalty interest is highly cash generative and represents an effective 0.28% net smelter return royalty over the Caserones mine in Atacama, Chile, owned by Minera Lumina Copper Chile," Appian...Read More