Fastmarkets has decided to discontinue five precious metals price assessments from October 1, 2020, due to the limited liquidity of the markets in question and to focus on its core markets. The discontinuation follows a month-long consultation that started on July 7, 2020. The prices to be discontinued are as follows: Platinum min 99.9% Europe Free Market $ per troy oz in warehouse Palladium min 9...Read More
KENORA - The Ontario government is providing more than $1 million to support the technology sector, create jobs and help boost the digital economy in the North. Funding is being delivered to eight companies through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC)."As we focus on economic recovery, our government is proud to make targeted investments in growing sectors and businesses here in...Read More
Key data from the pricing sessions in Asia, Europe and the United States for the week ending Friday August 7.China Seaborne 37% manganese ore prices rose again after some miners increased their offers on a steady appetite among buyers looking to average their purchasing costs at relatively lower levels. The seaborne 44% price moved up as well, partly buoyed by the rising portside prices. Portside...Read More
Key data from Fastmarkets' pricing session in Europe on Friday August 7. Key drivers Prices moved higher in all five daily price assessment this week, stoked by concern in China over availability of metal. Hydroxide payables continue to strengthen on limited supply, which has pushed some companies to buying metal...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their latest price moves.Read More
The price of most flat-rolled steel products imported into South America rose during the week to Friday August 7 after mills around the world engaged in successive increases and clients rushed to close deals, market participants said.The demand recovery from the drought following restrictions to curb the Covid-19 spread since April as well as rising raw material and semi-finished steel costs suppo...Read More
It was a perfect summer day - 80 degrees, mostly sunny, and a light breeze blowing across the water.Baltimore's Inner Harbor should have been bustling with tourists and employees of local businesses. Joggers and bikers should have been crowding the sidewalks. Panhandlers should have been asking me for money. Car horns should have been blaring in the distance. And there should have been guys on the...Read More
Indian steel mills increased their hot-rolled coil export prices by about $20-25 per tonne in the week ended Friday August 7 on strong domestic demand and a surge in local HRC prices.The price of steel hot-rolled coil (commodity), export, fob main port India, was assessed by Fastmarkets at $485-500 per tonne on Friday, up by $20-25 per tonne from last week's assessment at $465-475 per...Read More
Sentiment in the Northern European hot-rolled coil market has remained bullish despite low trading activity, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?413.46 ($490.59) per tonne on Friday, down by ?,?1.54 per tonne day on day from ?,?415.00 per tonne on Thursday.Friday's index was based on "workab...Read More
Diego Parrilla, portfolio manager and author of "The Anti-Bubbles", likens portfolio construction to putting a soccer team on the field. In the coming decade he sees equities as being the strikers and options as being the goal-keeper. On Real Vision today, he explains his approach which includes using options to get defensive exposure to assets like Treasuries. He believes the 60/40 balanced pa...Read More
A summary of the financial results for Turkey's largest steelmaking group, Erdemir, for January-June 2020.In brief Erdemir Group's local flat steel sales decreased by 3.88% to 2.8 million tonnes in the first half of 2020.Erdemir Group's local long steel sales increased by 6.35% to 419,000 tonnes in January-June 2020. Erdemir Group's total steel exports were 687,000 tonnes of flat steel to 35 count...Read More
Domestic prices for steel rebar in Poland have narrowed over the past week, supported by good demand from end-users, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Trading activity in Poland's rebar market remained good in the week, despite the normal seasonal summer slowdown."Construction [activity] is slightly slower due to seasonal factors, but it is still okay," one trader said."I do not see less...Read More
Eastern China's rebar prices held steady on Friday August 7 despite falling futures, with restocking demand ahead of the weekend providing support to the market. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,640-3,670 yuan ($523-527) per tonne, unchanged Northern China (Beijing) weekly assessment: 3,700-3,730 yuan per tonne, up by 50-60 yuan per tonneA weakening of iron ore futures dragged down the rebar c...Read More
No negotiations were again reported in the United States' spot pig iron market during the week ended Friday August 7, because steel mills' utilization rates remained low, Fastmarkets understands.But one deal was heard under long-term agreement at $340 per tonne cfr from Brazil. That would be "more or less in line with the spot market level," one buyer said. Meanwhile, other sources estimated that...Read More
European domestic prices for stainless steel scrap have increased over the past week, supported by the higher cost of nickel, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap, 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK, was ?850-880 ($1,118-1,157) per tonne on Friday, up by ?10 per tonne from ?840-870 per tonne on July 31.The assessme...Read More
Ferrous scrap prices in all the key global markets continued to increase in the week ended Friday August 7 on stable demand from end-users and high prices for downstream steel products.Turkey continues to purchase material at higher pricesUS export prices and volumes riseVietnam chooses US-origin scrap on narrowing differential with JapanTaiwan prices continue uptrendIndia prices return to pre-pan...Read More
Brazilian slab export prices increased in the week ended Friday August 7, with recent deals closed at higher levels and producers trying to push for new price increases in the next few weeks.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob main port Brazil, reached $405-410 per tonne on Friday, up by $10-15 per tonne from $390-400 per tonne a week before.Recent deals for Brazilian...Read More
Offers of steel billet to foreign customers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region had gone up by the end of this week following the continuing uptrend in the scrap sector, Fastmarkets heard on Friday August 7.But trading activity was limited, even though some customers accepted the higher prices.Fastmarkets' steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $404 per tonne on A...Read More
European stainless steel prices have remained stable over the past week due to the seasonal demand slowdown, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday August 7.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for stainless steel cold-rolled sheet, 2mm, grade 304, transaction domestic, delivered North Europe, was ?,?1,900-1,950 ($2,254-2,314) per tonne on August 7, unchanged week on week.The assessment was...Read More
Marc discusses the markets, the economy and investments.Dr. Marc Faber was born in Zurich, Switzerland and obtained a PhD in Economics at the University of Zurich. Between 1970 and 1978, Dr. Faber worked for White Weld & Company Limited in New York, Zurich and Hong Kong. From 1978 to February 1990, he was the Managing Director of Drexel Burnham Lambert (HK) Ltd. In 1990, he set up his own business...Read More