Downstream appetites from lithium cobalt oxide (LCO) battery manufacturers weakened in the second quarter during the traditionally weak consumption season for consumer electronics - a key consumer of LCO batteries and an industry battling with a shortage of semi-conductor chips, sources said.Some cobalt-tetroxide producers told Fastmarkets their customers have cut orders and that demand for LCO ca...Read More

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX: AVL, OTCQB: AVLND) is a Canadian mineral development company, specializing in sustainably produced materials for clean technology. Avalon is currently focusing on developing its Separation Rapids Lithium Project, near Kenora, Ontario, while looking at several new project opportunities, including re-activating its 100%-owned Lilypad Cesium-Tantalum-Lithium Proje...Read More

There was an interesting piece in Reason magazine last week titled "Why COVID-19 May Be the Last Pandemic."The argument is that medical breakthroughs in the world of biotech - such as "messenger RNA" vaccines - will result in the global community never having to suffer from diseases like COVID-19 again.Reason science correspondent Ronald Bailey writes:The horrors of the last year have spurred huma...Read More

Europe's domestic prices for hot-rolled coil have continued to surge, propelled by strong demand amid a persistent material shortage, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday May 13.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?1,090.71 ($1,320.36) per tonne on May 13, up by ?,?32.58 per tonne from ?,?1,058.13 per tonne on May 12.The index was also up by ?...Read More

Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Read More

China's hot-rolled coil prices fell on Thursday May 13 after Premier Li Keqiang called for stable commodity prices on Wednesday, with falls in global stock markets also dampening sentiment.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 6,520-6,710 yuan ($1,011-1,041) per tonne, up by 110-180 yuan per tonneSpot sellers in Shanghai secured some deals at around 6,710 yuan per tonne in the morning, but had to lowe...Read More

Guido Kerkhoff has become chief executive officer of German metals distributor Kl??ckner & Co, Fastmarkets has heard.Kerkhoff took office on Thursday May 13, replacing Gisbert R? 1/4 hl, who has been a member of the company's executive board since 2006 and its chairman since 2009.Before this, Kerkhoff had been Kl??ckner's deputy chairman of the board of directors in Europe since September 2020. He...Read More

Steel wire rod producers in Southern Europe were largely staying away from the market and holding back new offers, while scarce deals were heard done at substantially higher prices during the week amid a surge in the scrap and global long steel markets, Fastmarkets heard on Wednesday May 12.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel wire rod (mesh-quality), domestic, delivered Southern Europe,...Read More

Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Read More

Italian domestic steel scrap prices increased substantially in the month to Thursday May 12 on support from limited availability of some grades of material and rising international prices, market sources told Fastmarkets.Market sources said that the shortage of semiconductor chips has had a negative effect on car manufacturing and, as a result, new scrap availability.In addition, scrap suppliers w...Read More

Turkish steel mills booked one further cargo late on Wednesday at a higher price ahead of the post-Ramadan Eid al-Fitr holiday, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday May 13.The cargo came to light after the indices had closed for the day.A steel mill in the Iskenderun booked a Baltic sea cargo comprising 18,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (95:5) at $510 per tonne.Read More

British steel scrap suppliers have mostly settled monthly delivery prices for steel scrap to domestic consumers in May at levels last seen nine years ago, amid relatively tight supplies and strong demand in both the local and export markets, sources said this week.Suppliers have managed to generally agree an increase of ?15 ($21) per tonne for steel scrap grades delivered into steelmakers in the...Read More

The CIS export market for steel billet turned quiet on Thursday May 13 when buying activity in the majority of outlets faded.Customers in the Middle East-North Africa (Mena) region, as well as in some Asian countries, left the market to celebrate the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, while buyers from China withdrew bids after domestic long steel prices as well as the futures market became...Read More

Fastmarkets' Ferrous Analytics report helps subscribers keep track of hot metal costs and steel production spreads in China, along with key pricing components of the steelmaking raw materials supply chain in Asia.Read More

Alasdair Macleod is head of research for GoldMoney. Alasdair has been a celebrated stockbroker and Member of the London Stock Exchange for over four decades. His experience encompasses equity and bond markets, fund management, corporate finance and investment strategy.Read More

For Part 1 of this interview, CLICK HEREHeadline inflation is now at 4.2%, the highest reading since 2008. Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University, said that this is a 'harbinger' of even more inflation. Hanke told David Lin, anchor for Kitco News, that inflation could run as high as 5% by the end of next year. 0:00 - 4.2% headline CPI...what's next?4:15 - Golden gr...Read More

Jim is very constructive on commodities such as silver, oil, sugar, and various other agricultural opportunities. He also suggests investing in good agricultural companies in India. Tractor, fertilizer and seed companies are good buys, according to Rogers. Jim Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund with George Soros in 1973, helping to steer the fund to a 4200% return before "retiring" at age 37. He i...Read More

Wil Rhind, CEO of GraniteShares, discusses with David Lin, anchor for Kitco News, the concept of 'shrinkflation' towards the end of this interview, and why we commonly see this phenomenon before price inflation gets recorded.0:00 - Commodity prices hitting new highs3:50 - Inflation fears7:00 - Unemployment9:46 - Hedging against inflation14:14 - Backwardation in the futures markets16:10 - Shrinkfla...Read More

Lobo Tiggre of the Independent Speculator, joins us to discuss market manipulation and why he believes silver is the place to be invested right now.Lobo Tiggre, aka Louis James, is a legendary speculator and was Doug Casey's prot?(C)g?(C) at Casey Research for almost 14 years, until early 2018. He joined the Casey team in 2004. By 2007, he was writing and making investment recommendations in Casey...Read More

We're heading towards a two tier system, the wealthy and the have nothings. The market will continue increasing because the Fed is buying everything. No one should be surprised by what's happening. The worse the economic news is, the more gleeful the market gets. They know the Fed will keep upping their purchases. They're creating artificial demand for housing by buying mortgage backed securities...Read More