U.S. equity index futures were higher this morning. S&P 500 futures were up 16 points in pre-opening trade. The Canadian Dollar was virtually unchanged at US83.06 cents following release of Canadian March Retail Sales at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was an increase of 3.7% versus a gain of 1.2% in February. Actual was an increase of 3.6%.Home Depot added $1.75 to $317.65 after announcing a $20 billi...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 8 points in pre-opening trade.U.S. equity index futures were virtually unchanged prior to release of the May Philly Fed Index at 8:30 AM EDT. Consensus was a drop to 44.0 from 50.2 in April.Cisco dropped $2.52 to $49.95 despite reporting higher than consensus fiscal fourth quarter revenues and earnings. Guidance was l...Read More

Huntsman Set to Expand Nickel Sulphide Discovery at CanegrassSPONSOREDhuntsman exploration"The new drilling continues to expand the openpit target and the copper zone remains wide open in all directions," president and CEO Tim Moody said.Sprott Capital Partners had described the company as "overlooked Spanish copper with best-in-class former Rio CEO" when it initiated coverage in March.Huntsman Se...Read More

"Unethical"… "dystopian"… "totalitarian"…These are the words of the British government's primary scientific advisory bunch - the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviour, by title.These scientific advisors presently droop their heads in shame. For these are the very words they employ to describe their own conduct.They concede: Last March their wicked counsel encouraged go...Read More

The export price for pig iron from the south of Brazil increased again in the week to Friday May 21, on continuing strong demand and long lead times, with suppliers said to be sold out until late August.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was $610-620 per tonne on Friday, up from $590-610 per tonne last week.Offers from the south of Brazil came in at...Read More

The price of 18/8 (grade-304) stainless steel scrap in the United Kingdom was substantially lower during the week to Friday May 21 amid volatile nickel costs, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for stainless steel scrap 18/8 solids, domestic, delivered merchants UK was ?1,130-1,180 ($1,598-1,669) per tonne on Friday, down ?50-60 from ?1,180-1,240 per tonne a week...Read More

Prices for inter-merchant light iron scrap in the United Kingdom increased to as much as ?180 ($254) per tonne over the week ended Friday May 21, a level last seen in April 2012, on firm fundamentals that have encouraged higher offer prices. Fastmarkets' price assessment for steel scrap 5C, loose old light, domestic, delivered inter-merchant, UK was ?170-180 ($240-255) per tonne on Friday,...Read More

Turkish steel producers skipped the last working day of the week with no deep-sea bookings, market participants told Fastmarkets on Friday May 21.Mills booked at least four deep-sea cargoes this week despite the holiday periods that have suspended trade in most of Turkey's local market over the past two weeks.The most recent deal was done on Thursday May 20, when a steel mill in the Iskenderun reg...Read More

The export market for pig iron from the Commonwealth of Independent States rose further in the week to Thursday May 20 on new sales and bullish offers from suppliers despite an absence of large sales and even while additional volumes appeared in the market. Fastmarkets assessed the price for high-manganese pig iron, export, fob main port Black Sea, CIS at $635-655 per tonne on Thursday, up fr...Read More

Iron ore prices plunged on Friday May 21 amid thin liquidity on both the seaborne front and at the Chinese ports, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $200.72 per tonne, down $11.13 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $203.06 per tonne, down $11.01 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $172.75 per tonne, down $8.06 per tonne65% Fe Brazil...Read More

All metals except for zinc and aluminium fell from their recent psychological levels on the morning of Friday May 21, with selling on the London Metal Exchange still present while macroeconomic headwinds continue to affect the complex.Copper's three-month price was down to $9,970 per tonne on Friday at 9am from Thursday's close at $10,048 per tonne, which had been a slight $40 rebound on the previ...Read More

A significant rise in the LME lead price on Thursday May 20, was the outlier in the base metals complex, with its peers having a mixed day following Wednesday's selling session.Lead's three-month price was up by 1.95% at the close on Thursday to $2,217 per tonne, from $2,174.50 per tonne at 5pm on Wednesday, which was the biggest rise on the day and in stark contrast with the rest of the base meta...Read More

The Chilean Copper Commission, Cochilco, raised its average price forecast for this year to $4.30 per lb on May 19, given an expected deficit of refined copper for the 2021-2022 period, it said.Cochilco revised the price up from a prediction of $3.30 per lb in January 2021, with its executive vice president Marco Riveros citing the global deficit together with reduced inventories in metal exchange...Read More

Seaborne iron ore prices fell on Thursday May 20 amid falling steel prices and overall weakened demand, sources said.Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $211.85 per tonne, down $4.31 per tonne 62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $214.07 per tonne, down $4.72 per tonne 58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $180.81 per tonne, down $4.90 per tonne 65% Fe Brazil-orig...Read More

An overview of the specialty steel raw materials markets in Europe and their latest price moves.Charlotte Radford, Cristina Belda...Read More

The Cobalt hydroxide payable indicator, min 30% Co, cif China, % payable of Fastmarkets' standard-grade cobalt price (low-end) trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt hydroxide p...Read More

The Cobalt alloy grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lbtrade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed...Read More

The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets assessed Cobalt standard grade,...Read More

The Cobalt sulfate 20.5% Co basis, exw China, yuan/tonne trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies....Read More

Prices for Chinese stainless cold-rolled coil weakened over the past week on selling pressure and a falling nickel market.The three-month nickel contract on the London Metal Exchange ended the official trading session on Wednesday May 19 at $17,702 per tonne, down by $240 per tonne from $17,942 per tonne a week earlier. DomesticStainless steel cold-rolled coil 2mm grade 304 domestic (Wuxi): 16,500...Read More