Ferrous scrap prices in Mexico were stable or down in the steelmaking regions of Bajio and Monterrey during the week to Tuesday June 2 due to currency moves and the weak performance of the steel sector.At least two steel plants in the Baj?-o region announced a cut of 100 pesos ($4.50) per tonne in scrap values, which was reflected in lower prices for most grades assessed by Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts are ready to view.Ferrous scrap consumption rates of Chinese integrated mills appear to have declined this year on a per-tonne basis. This year has seen the ratio of pig iron to steel output tighten, leaving increasingly less room for scrap consumption. Over the first four months of 2020, the pig iron-to-steel ratio has been above the pr...Read More
Turkish steel producers continued their deep-sea scrap purchases for July shipments at firm prices on Tuesday June 2, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel producer in the Iskenderun region booked a US cargo, comprising 21,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (90:10) at $259 per tonne, 4,000 tonnes of shredded at $261 per tonne and 5,000 tonnes of plate & structural scrap (P&S) at $266 per tonne cfr on June 2. T...Read More
Ricky Wen, ElliottWaveTrader Monday's session was an inside day within a potential inside week/high-level consolidation context. Basically, the regular trading hours (RTH) session was confined to a 3059-3027 range on the Emini S&P 500 (ES), which is about 1%. In addition, as you may be aware by now, the average range per day has been narrowing for the past few weeks due to this methodical grind...Read More
According to its recently published March and April statements of account --https://www.bis.org/banking/balsheet/statofacc200331.pdfhttps://www.bis.org/banking/balsheet/statofacc200430.pdf-- the Bank for International Settlements, which acts as an agent for most central banks, appears to have made little change in its use of gold swaps. The BIS is estimated to have increased its position in gold...Read More
CIS export billet prices increased on Tuesday June 2, with China resuming bookings and accepting higher prices, sources told Fastmarkets.The increased cost of iron ore, an upswing in China's domestic rebar market and production cuts planned in Tangshan province supported interest in imported billet.Fastmarkets' daily index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao was $101.32 per tonne on June 2, up...Read More
Richard (Rick) Mills, Ahead of the herdPrecious metals are loving the uncertainty the coronavirus has created. Despite limited successes some countries have had with reopening, the virus is nowhere near contained. As of this writing, close to 6 million worldwide are infected and 365,328 have died. The important columns in the table below from the heavily visited Worldometer's coronavirus page,...Read More
By: Ira EpsteinGold is back and forth short-term, does not have a trend at the moment. Caught in the volatility bands..Read More
Gold and silver will remain firm on developments in USA. Copper is on the verge of a big technical breakout. Crude oil is bullish. OPEC has decided to continue with production cuts. If India had faced a similar mass arson then global leaders would have condemned India with "secularism is at risk" slogan. The arsonists would have been divided between religion, caste and creed. USA's NATO allies a...Read More
The prices for steel billet and rebar in the United Arab Emirates have increased over the past week, with demand improving after the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, as well as the easing of restrictions under the Covid-19 pandemic, market sources said on Tuesday June 2.Market participants in the UAE were expecting demand to improve in late May, when the Islamic holy month of Ramadan ended with the Eid al-Fit...Read More
Indonesian state-owned steel producer PT Krakatau Steel recorded its first profit in over a decade in the first quarter of 2020, aided by considerable cost cutting, the company announced.$74.1-million net profit for Q1 2020 (vs $62.3-million net loss in Q1 2019)Operating costs fell 31% year on year to $46.8 million.$130 million of spending cuts (cost reductions in energy, consumables and utilities...Read More
Bulk alloys markets in Europe are coming under sustained pressure from weak demand, with prices for manganese alloys dropping through May, while ferro-silicon prices have been falling since April, sources said.Elsewhere, silico-manganese export prices have also been dropping in India, where recent restarts in production may be short-lived while producers consider cuts to stem or even reverse price...Read More
The latest forecasts from Fastmarkets' team of analysts is ready to view.Stainless steel prices are on the increase in June. As far as this market is concerned, it appears as though the Covid-19 pandemic has had little impact so far, with prices on the most common grades of stainless steel just 2-4% lower than they were at the turn of the year in most markets.Even in Asia, a region often talked ab...Read More
Shares of Westwater Resources traded higher on greater than 100-times average daily volume after the company reported that positive independent test results on ULTRA-PMG(TM) demonstrated successful simulated full-scale processing of battery graphite. Energy materials development company Westwater Resources Inc. (WWR:NASDAQ) today announced that "independent testing of its ULTRA-PMG(TM) battery gr...Read More
The EU's plan to make electric vehicles a centerpiece of the continent's economic recovery has injected significant confidence into the global cobalt market, and has also renewed momentum for responsible sourcing across the whole supply chain, according to the head of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG).Recent government and industry association initiatives across the EU may also provide the boost requ...Read More
Continued protests and the civil unrest that comes with them do little to deter investorsCivil unrest around the U.S. didn't hinder a rise in markets, with the Dow managing to tack on 267 points as investors eyed a reopening economy over protests. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 barely inched its way into positive territory, mostly in part to a lift in bank stocks, while the Nasdaq also struggled to mark a...Read More
Call volume is surging in the options pitsThe shares of online pet store Chewy Inc (NYSE:CHWY) are seeing a surge in call volume today, with 48,000 contracts traded compared to just 6,000 puts. Most popular is the weekly 6/5 50-strike call, where new positions are being opened. Second is the 45-strike call in the same session, which also happens to be the sixth most popular open interest positio...Read More
Planet Fitness reopened around 800 facilities in North AmericaThe shares of Planet Fitness Inc (NYSE:PLNT) are soaring today, up 7.6% at $72.66 at last check, after the fitness center franchise reported about 60% of its customers returned amid the reopening of around 800 gyms across the U.S. and Canada in the last week. Furthermore, the company also reported that memberships remain stable in gym...Read More
The Dow and S&P are higher midday, while the Nasdaq has taken a breather The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) is trading up around triple-digits this afternoon, with stocks tied to the reopening U.S. economy leading the charge. The S&P 500 Index (SPX) is hovering at breakevenby midday, while a lackluster day for the tech sector has the Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) paring some of its earlier gains....Read More
Starbucks asked employees to further limit working hours or take unpaid leaveThe shares of Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) are down 0.8% at $77.68 this morning, after the company asked employees to further limit their hours or take unpaid leave until September. Though the popular coffee chain has regained nearly two-thirds of its comparable U.S. sales from the past year as it reopens stores,...Read More