Fastmarkets is proud to launch its first monthly Ferrous Analytics report, which will help subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, as well as key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Readers will find raw material-finished steel spreads, iron ore differentials and scrap differentials all calculated and condensed...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday August 10 that are worth another look.Production activity has come under threat at Belarus Steel Works (BMZ) with workers protesting against the result of the country's presidential election on Sunday August 9.Liberty House Group,...Read More

The domestic ferrous scrap sector in the United States is enjoying renewed strength that is expected to continue through September - and possibly longer - due to a robust export market, constrained supply and improving steel mill run rates that have created a sellers' market."Mills have been out of the market and have burned through inventory and will have to come back for a lot more. The blip of...Read More

Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil across Europe were fairly stable in the week ended Friday August 7, but the mood in the market was bullish.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was calculated at ?,?413.46 ($487.19) per tonne on August 7, up by ?,?0.96 per tonne week on week and up by ?,?10.33 per tonne month on month.Friday's index was based on "w...Read More

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange sold for more than $6,400 per tonne in afternoon trading on Monday August 10, starting the week on the front foot after a slump last Friday.At the 5pm close, 3-month copper futures were settled at $6,395 per tonne, a 1.4% gain from last Friday, when news of Chilean supply strength proved negative for market sentiment. The price had been as high as $6,428...Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday August 10 that are worth another look.Production activity has come under threat at Belarus Steel Works (BMZ) with workers protesting against the result of the country's presidential election on Sunday August 9.Liberty House Group,...Read More

Sometimes it is better to let a situation speak for itself. Alcoa, Rio Tinto Aluminium, Novelis, Constellium, Arconic, Kaiser Aluminum, Tri-Arrows Aluminum, American Metal Chemical Corp, Hydro Extrusion North America, JW Aluminum, Real Alloy, Reynolds Consumer Products, Scepter, Silberline Manufacturing Co, Smelter Service Corp and Wagstaff. The US Aluminum Association, which represents more than...Read More

The London Metal Exchange is looking for ways to boost its options market, which has been struggling for some years to replicate the growth seen in the same sector among its peers.The exchange has launched a consultation, scheduled to end on July 29, on developing electronic options via a new trading platform while retaining its current inter-office options trading structure.Items up for discussio...Read More

The mining industry does a huge amount of good for local communities, to say nothing of its essential contribution to society through the materials it produces. Unfortunately, it all too often manages to give itself a bad name, worsening negative perceptions of the sector through accidents, spills and a failure to act as a steward of the environments in which it operates. In the past month alone,...Read More

Steel market participants anticipate China's "dual circulation" policy will to boost steel demand for the remainder of 2020, with the more self-reliant economic model aiming to offset slowdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and US-China political tensions. Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in late July that China will focus on a "dual circulation" development model, which ensures a more sel...Read More

Copper futures on the London Metal Exchange sold for more than $6,400 per tonne in afternoon trading on Monday August 10, starting the week on the front foot after a slump last Friday.At the 5pm close, 3-month copper futures were settled at $6,395 per tonne, a 1.4% gain from last Friday, when news of Chilean supply strength proved negative for market sentiment. The price had been as high as $6,428...Read More

The London Metal Exchange three-month copper price was higher during morning trading on Monday August 10, after a steady uptick in consumer inflation figures for China's economy while broad consolidation elsewhere led lead futures down over the morning. LME copper's outright price was recently trading at $6,344.50 per tonne, climbing over 2% from a morning low of $6,234 per tonne, while turnover w...Read More

The Shanghai Futures Exchange launched aluminium and zinc options contracts on Monday August 10 to meet growing desire for the important risk management tool, the exchange chairman said.The launch comes after the exchange received approval from the China Security Regulatory Commission in mid-June, Fastmarkets reported at the time. SHFE set the minimum trading amount for aluminium and zinc options...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view. We also review our price forecasting accuracy for the second quarter 2020.Q2 2020 price forecast performance review According to the results of Fastmarkets' Apex for the second quarter of 2020 published this week, Fastmarkets' base metals research team was the second most accurate price forecaster for nickel (99.06%), lead...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Comfortable consolidationAluminium appears comfortable consolidating for the moment, and this will leave prices in a stronger position to challenge overhanging long-term trend-line resistance from the May 2018 high, which stands at $1,670 per tonne currently.Copper: Consolidation unlikely to lastCopper reached its...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Upside breakout last weekThe price of aluminium on the London Metal Exchange surprised us with a break to the upside in the week ended July 10, when prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange raced to three-and-a-half-year highs. While we think there is more short-term upside potential if technical and liquidity fact...Read More

There is growing evidence that the rapid rise in the silver price is due to physical buying, not paper speculating... by Steve St Angelo of SRSrocco ReportThere is growing evidence that the rapid rise in the silver price is due to physical buying, not paper speculating. We can see this in the falling Commercial net short position trend as the silver price continues to rise. Typically in the p...Read More

The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Aluminium: Capped by oversupplyA lack of a meaningful supply adjustment to the Covid-19 demand hit is keeping the aluminium physical market oversupplied and weighing on prices, limiting the success of more buoyant macro and technical forces on prices. Our premium forecasts are under review in light of threats from the U...Read More

Time is money, and money is time. Over the past decade we've all read countless articles with headlines like "$10,000 Gold" and "$1,000 Silver"...submitted by Matt OrloffTime is money, and money is time. Over the past decade we've all watched and read countless articles with headlines like "$10,000 Gold" and $1,000 Silver", Why $700 Silver is Possible, and "The Curious Case for $936 Silver.I consi...Read More

Silver could go to triple-digits by the end of this year, and then in 2021, silver turns into rocket fuel in the real bull market we are waiting for...Bo Polny interviewed on USA Watchdog by Greg HunterCycle expert and financial analyst Bo Polny says, "Silver is still a steal. I think silver could go to $65 per ounce, and we could see that as early as September, but surely before the end of the ye...Read More