Additionally, short-term traders are becoming increasingly optimistic, evident by the 10-day moving average of our customer-only, equity-only buy (to open) put/call volume ratio, as seen in the chart below. As the market troughed in March, thesemarket participants were at a pessimistic extreme not seen in years. Now, just two months later, this group is showing levels of optimism seen at short-te...Read More
The silvermarket is on the move. In fact, it’s finally moving out ahead of otherprecious metals and showing some real leadership. After the panic selling of March briefly brought spot silverbelow $12/oz, prices have since surged by 50%. That’s an impressive move totake place within the span of just two months.The question for investors now is whether the recent rally insilver is fleeti...Read More
Crude steel production in Germany fell by 23.85% year on year in April due to production cuts made to reflect the drop in demand caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the German steel federation said this week.Germany's crude steel production totaled 2.56 million tonnes in April 2020, down from 3.56 million tonnes in the corresponding period of 2019, WV Stahl said on Monday May 25.The last time ou...Read More
East Asia and Southeast Asia continue to be among the top five importers of Chinese steel products in April due to the competitive prices of the latter and the former's economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, Fastmarkets understands. China's major steel exportsFlat steel: 4.07 million tonnes, up by 5.1% year on year, down by 0.5% from March, according to China Customs data.Steel bar: 820,000...Read More
Before we look at tonights charts I would like to go over some challenges that we’ll face as the current impulse move in the PM complex continues to move higher. It’s not everyday that you will find yourself getting in close to the bottom of a multi month rally. One of the biggest problems I’ve witnessed over the years, especially with PM stock investors, is they grow complacent...Read More
Member mills of the China Iron & Steel Association (Cisa) continued to increase their production rates for crude steel, finished steel and hot metal in mid-May, according to data released on Saturday May 23.May 11-20 outputCrude steel: 2.08 million tonnes per day, up by 1.40%Finished steel: 1.96 million tpd, up...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 26 that are worth another look.Workers at Tata Steel's plant at IJmuiden in the Netherlands staged a lightning protest on May 26, but output was unaffected, the company said.Japanese steel producers which use electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) are being forced into raising their purchasing prices for ferrous scrap feedstock despite t...Read More
Mexican ferrous scrap prices were on opposite paths in the week ended Friday May 22, with prices rising in some deals due to a scarcity of material while others fell due to currency moves.Prices for three grades of scrap increased in Monterrey, with at least one client heard quietly purchasing small volumes of specific grades at higher prices.A second client was also considering future price...Read More
A summary of base metals premiums from across the globe for the week to Tuesday May 26.Read More
The International Copper Study Group (ICSG) has cut its 2020 global mined copper forecast by 950,000 tonnes, equivalent to nearly 4 million tonnes of copper concentrates output, citing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.The copper research group now expects a 3% year-on-year decline in world mined copper output in 2020, citing lockdowns that have been in place since March, the group said on Thurs...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 26 that are worth another look.Workers at Tata Steel's plant at IJmuiden in the Netherlands staged a lightning protest on May 26, but output was unaffected, the company said.Japanese steel producers which use electric-arc furnaces (EAFs) are being forced into raising their purchasing prices for ferrous scrap feedstock despite t...Read More
By Stefan GleasonThe China virus, the economic lockdowns, and the multi-trillion-dollar rescue efforts of central bankers have dominated markets over the past three months.However, as lockdowns gradually lift and the 2020 election draws nearer, investors will begin to focus more on political developments.The once-strong economy that President Donald Trump had hoped would propel him to re-electio...Read More
Graceland Updates By Stewart Thomson 1. Gold drifts sideways in typical weak season trading, silver looks better, and the miners look awesome!2. Please click here now. Double-click to enlarge this gold chart. It's clear that both upside and downside breakouts are failing, and the gold price continues to ooze sideways. 3. A rectangle pattern is in play. The good news is t...Read More
StrengthsThe best performing metal this week was platinum, up 5.65 percent, due to stronger retail buying. Gold and silver rose on Friday morning on safe haven buying. U.S.-China relations remain tense and China announced that it will impose new security laws on Hong Kong. Palladium rose the most since March, holding above $2,000 an ounce on Monday, due to renewed optimism about China's economy...Read More
Keith Weiner, Monetary MetalsThe price of gold dropped a few bucks this week, but the price of silver jumped about half a buck. The drumbeat for the gold bull market is well underway, and it is beginning now for silver. So let's do a quick update on the supply and demand fundamentals.Here is the graph of the gold basis.The basis has come in quite a bit but it is still 3.6% annualized. We do not...Read More
A recent newspaper article about superspreaders -- stadium events, concerts and outdoor festivals that effectively bathe crowds in Covid-19 -- noted that a boisterous fan can spew viral particles that remain airborne for as long as 12 minutes. There's additional evidence that when we steep in this microscopic spume for a couple of hours as occurs when crowds are densely seated, it increases t...Read More
The disconnect between London Metal Exchange and SHFE aluminium prices has opened an arbitrage window to China, but the international aluminium market is wary of taking advantage of it, Fastmarkets understands.The front month aluminium contract on the SHFE last traded at 13,235 yuan ($1,855.41) per tonne on Tuesday May 26, while the LME aluminium three-month price closed at $1,506.50 per tonne on...Read More
April job report shows a terrible US labor market. Coronavirus destroyed 20.5 million jobs, pushing the unemployment rate to almost 15 percent. How far does the number reflect reality – and what does it actually mean for the gold market?Apocalypse in the US Labor Market 14.7 percent. Remember this value well, as it will go down in history. This is the official US unemployment rate for April...Read More
Over the last 50 years there have virtuallybeen no significant Silver rallies during a period when the US Dollar index hasbeen rising.If you are betting on a massive Silver rallywhile US dollar strength continues, then you have a very low probability ofsuccess. Similarly, if you bet on a massive Silver rally while the US dollarcontinues a long decline, then you have a great chance of success.So, f...Read More