The S&P 500 closed up 0.74% to 3,915.59 as optimism grows around an economic stimulus package and vaccine roll-out.Bitcoin gained more than 14% to also reach a record high as Tesla said it had invested US$1.5 billion and would soon accept the digital currency as payment for its electric vehicles.Gold was slightly higher than this time yesterday at $1,830 an ounce on the spot market.Base metals...Read More
Peru reported a year-on-year decrease in copper production for the second month in a row in December, while zinc output continued to recover, according to the latest data from the country's Ministry of Energy & Mines (Minem).The country produced 221,980 tonnes of copper equivalent the last month of 2020, down 1.6% from the 225,496 tonnes produced in December 2019. Production had fallen 2.4% y...Read More
Seaborne low-grade manganese ore prices dropped for the second consecutive week on Friday February 5 on weakening demand and high Chinese port stocks, which outweighed logistical disruptions. Fastmarkets' manganese ore index 37% Mn, cif Tianjin dropped 6 cents week on week to $4.62 per dry metric tonne unit (dmtu) on February 5. Fastmarkets' manganese ore 44% Mn, cif Tianjin edged up 2 c...Read More
Severstal said the move was in line with its commitment to the Paris Agreement goals, and also followed the objectives of Russia climate regulation.Read More
Revenue of A$124.3 million in the first half of FY2021 was down 3% on the same period in FY2020.EBITDA rose 6% to $33.1 million, while cash from operations jumped 33% to $33.2 million.Net profit after tax for the FY21 first half dropped 26% to $13.5 million due to higher depreciation and amortisation charges relating to additional assets to support increasing demand for gyro-related technologies a...Read More
A summary of aluminium producer Rusal's results for the year ended December 31, 2020.SummaryRusal's aluminium sales fell 6.0% year on year in 2020 to 3.93 million tonnes. The drop in sales is attributable mostly to a higher base in 2019, when sales volumes were above normal levels due to the partial sell down of surplus inventories of primary aluminium...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday February 8 that are worth another look.European steel association Eurofer is concerned that the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will result in a substantial rise in the costs of steel production, it said on Friday February 5.China's...Read More
Key data from the pricing session in London on Friday February 5.Key drivers The downward correction in prices has continued over the past week, with the market dropping to a one-month low on profit-taking amid an active spot market, and expectations of more material arriving in European...Read More
Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mainly weaker this morning, Monday February 8, while those on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were mostly firmer, but this comes after a strong performance on the LME on Friday, when prices closed up by an average of 1.7%. Poor US employment report may help rescue package pass through CongressUS Treasury secretary Janet Yellen predicts the United...Read More
A Russian court on Friday February 5 largely upheld a contested fine on Nornickel, charging it $1.93 billion - the country's largest environmental fine - for an oil spill in the Arctic.Nornickel already took an accounting charge to cover the fine for a May 2020 oil spill that saw it surrender 98.5% of its profits for the first half of that year. Nonetheless, Nornickel signaled Friday that it might...Read More
Sir Mick Davis, former chief executive officer of Xstrata plc, has launched an investment company focused on battery minerals and has made its first strategic financing move in a graphite mine in Madagascar.The new company is called Vision Blue Resources. It has said that it intends to capitalize on the structural change in battery mineral demand now under way globally, by acquiring a portfolio of...Read More
I think I'm like a lot of people in that if you asked me, "Do you want to go to Walmart or Target?" the answer is a resounding no. I definitely do not want to go to Walmart or Target.But if you ask me, "Do you want to go to Marshalls?" the answer is the complete opposite. Yes, I absolutely want to go to Marshalls. I'll even drive.Why?These stores basically have the same things for sale. And one...Read More
Maybe it is just better not to bring up the subject of value in these markets.Are P/S ratios best left unsaid?Read the latest Insights here. Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday February 8 that are worth another look.European steel association Eurofer is concerned that the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will result in a substantial rise in the costs of steel production, it said on Friday February 5.China's...Read More
Spot hot-rolled coil prices in the United States remained stable to begin the week. Fastmarkets' daily steel hot-rolled coil index, fob mill US was calculated at $59.24 per hundredweight ($1,184.80 per short ton) on Monday February 8, up by a penny from $59.23 per cwt on Friday February 5 and an increase of 4.7% from $56.56 per cwt one week earlier. Inputs were received across all three sub-i...Read More
Domestic prices for steel hot-rolled coil across Europe stabilized at a high level in the week ended Friday February 5, supported by good order books at domestic producers and solid demand.Fastmarkets calculated its daily steel hot-rolled coil index, domestic, exw Northern Europe, at ?,?710.00 ($855.36) per tonne on Friday, down by ?,?2.50 per tonne week on week, but up by ?,?43.75 per tonne month...Read More
Here are five Fastmarkets stories you might have missed on Monday February 8 that are worth another look.European steel association Eurofer is concerned that the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will result in a substantial rise in the costs of steel production, it said on Friday February 5.China's...Read More
European steel association Eurofer is concerned that the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will result in a substantial rise in the costs of steel production, it said on Friday February 5.The European Parliament's environment committee (ENVI) voted on Friday in favour of adopting the CBAM by a margin of 58 votes for, 8 against and 10 abstentions, Eurofer said."The consequences of the...Read More
Domestic prices for steel rebar in Russia's Central Federal District around Moscow were largely flat in the week to Monday February 8, with buyers expecting prices to fall due to slow demand and declining exports, several sources told Fastmarkets.Buying activity in the region's rebar market was quiet over the assessment week.Construction activity in Russia, the main market for rebar, typically slo...Read More
Iron ore prices went up on Monday February 8, with growing steel mill interest in mid-grade fines at ports, sources told Fastmarkets. Fastmarkets iron ore indices 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $160.50 per tonne, up $3.49 per tonne62% Fe low-alumina fines, cfr Qingdao: $160.80 per tonne, up $3.27 per tonne58% Fe fines high-grade premium, cfr Qingdao: $146.45 per tonne, up $2.16 per tonn...Read More