A summary of German steelmaker Thyssenkrupp's financial results for the first half and second quarter of its 2019/2020 financial year up to March 31, 2020. In brief Thyssenkrupp's performance was significantly affected by the initial effects of the coronavirus pandemic. It cites the weak automotive market as well as price and volume losses in the materials businesses. Its steel Eur...Read More
"What's going to happen next?" Will it be a D or G economy? The truth is no body knows for sure. That is why I am really looking forward to this new two-week series that Real Vision has put together to assess what could lie ahead, drawing on varying perspectives from some of the biggest names in finance. Raoul Pal returns to kick off the campaign and update viewers on how his "unfolding" thesis h...Read More
Domestic prices for hot-rolled coil in Northern Europe dropped day on day on Tuesday May 12 due to the slow market, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, was ?,?414.00 ($448.11) per tonne on Tuesday, down by ?,?6.00 per tonne from ?,?420.00 per tonne on Monday.Tuesday's index was calculated based on a few deals and "workable" prices...Read More
The price of steel rebar in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow was unchanged week on week on Tuesday May 12, while buying remained slow due to Covid-19-related restrictions and public holidays, sources told Fastmrkets.Market participants said that construction activity, the key rebar consuming sector, remained limited last week."[Most] construction sites have been closed sin...Read More
The import prices for steel billet and rebar in the United Arab Emirates increased slightly over the past week, while demand was weak because of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, market sources said on Tuesday May 12.Market participants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) believe demand is unlikely to improve before late May, when Ramadan will end. Local rebar...Read More
China's domestic rebar prices were flat on Tuesday May 12 with most market participants taking a wait-and-see approach.Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 3,480-3,510 yuan ($491-495) per tonne, unchangedMonday's price drop after last week's increases led many market participants to suspend trading to wait for further cues to emerge.The lower trading activity kept spot prices steady despite a streng...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Tuesday May 12 that are worth another look.Workers at ArcelorMittal Spain are preparing a series of token strikes in response to the company's decision to apply a new plan for temporary layoffs (known as ERTE), sources told Fastmarkets on May 12.Troubled oil trader ZenRock owes at least $615 million to banks, suppliers and customers, it sa...Read More
Mining company Rio Tinto is maintaining an eye on the potential for merger and acquisition opportunities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and plans to stay "patient but not complacent," its chief executive officer said. J-S Jacques told the Bank of America 2020 Global Metals, Mining and Steel Conference that metals market outlooks were currently clouded due to changing supply-demand pictures a...Read More
By Craig HemkeThe announcement last week that the Bank of Nova Scotia is exiting the precious metals business is just another curious development in the dark, secret world of international bullion banking.Over the past two months, much has been written about the current stresses in the Bullion Bank Fractional Reserve and Digital Derivative Pricing Scheme. Though the decision by Scotiabank to exi...Read More
Graceland Updates By Stewart Thomson 1. It's the soft demand season for gold (April-Sept), and that means upside and downside breakouts can become "wet noodle" affairs. 2. Bulls and bears who aren't prepared for this type of sideways price action may get frustrated. 3. Please click here now. Double-click to enlarge this short-term gold chart.4. My suggestion for invest...Read More
By Dave Kranzler"At the parabolic top of every financial bubble, thrilled investors lose their tether to reality, and as the price of the speculative instrument rallies ever higher, investors' expectations for additional price appreciation inflate ever more. Whether its Cisco Systems at a trillion-dollar market value, Qualcomm at $1000 a share, Oil at $200 a barrel, Bitcoin at a million dollar a...Read More
A Fresno, California waffle restaurant dared to open its doors for business this weekend to the delight of a long line of customers, who waited up to two hours for the "privilege" of willingly spending their money in a business happy to serve them breakfast on Mother's Day. This freedom of voluntary transaction is the core of what we used to call our free society. But in an America paralyzed by...Read More
Most domestic ferrous scrap prices in the Mexican steelmaking regions of Monterrey and Baj?-o increased week on week after reduced availability of material led some mills to accept higher offers in order to secure supply.Low scrap availability led one mill in Mexico's Bajio manufacturing hub to announce a price increase of around 100-200 pesos last week. Other scrap buyers avoided announcing...Read More
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) steel slab exporters turned to the Chinese market for sales in mid-May because customers in this market accepted higher prices than any in other destinations, Fastmarkets heard.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab, export, fob Black Sea, CIS was $335-340 per tonne on May 12, up from $325-335 per tonne fob a week earlier.Over 100,000 tonnes of...Read More
"There should be no doubt now that we've completely divorced the economy from the stock and the bond markets."Chamath Palihapitiya is the founder and CEO of investment firm Social Capital.Read More
Peter Schiff is an internationally recognized economist specializing in the foreign equity, currency and gold markets. Mr. Schiff made his name as President and Chief Global Strategist of Euro Pacific Capital. He frequently delivers lectures at major economic and investment conferences, and is quoted often in the print media, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Barron's, BusinessWee...Read More
Exporters of steel billet from the CIS have managed to secure deals at higher prices outside China, where trading activity has been concentrated recently.Fastmarkets' daily steel billet index, export, fob Black Sea, CIS, was $347 per tonne on Tuesday May 12, up by $2 from May 7.A 10,000-tonne cargo of Ukraine-origin billet was reported sold to Italy at $350 per tonne fob Black Sea.And...Read More
Some of today's questions:Suds7711: What if the Gold price is correct right now and everything else resets to match Gold.....Deflation??Michael B: If we are forced to use a digital Fed coin in the future where all transactions are not only monitored but controlled based on social scoring what will be the roll of precious metals? Won't it completely remove the value because it IS outside the system...Read More
Sen. Rand Paul criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Tuesday Senate hearing. "As much as I respect you, Dr. Fauci, I don't think you're the end-all," Paul said. "We can listen to your advice, but there are people on the other side who say there's not going to be another surge." Dr. Rand Paul is the junior United States Senator for Kentucky. Elected in 2010, he has proven to be an outspoken champio...Read More