Indian domestic secondary billet prices rose by 1,400 rupees ($20) per tonne in the week ending December 20 on the rising cost of directly reduced iron (DRI), the main raw material used by Indian secondary billet makers.The price of steel billet domestic, ex-works India was assessed by Fastmarkets on December 20 increased by 1,400 rupees per tonne to 27,400-27,600 rupees per tonne compar...Read More

Brazilian slab export prices remained stable in the week to Friday December 20 amid continued strong demand and prices in most buying regions.Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for steel slab export, fob main port Brazil was $395-405 per tonne on December 20, unchanged from the previous week.Deals were concluded within the assessment range, mainly to clients in Mexico, Canada and the United Stat...Read More

Indian domestic secondary billet prices rose by 1,400 rupees ($20) per tonne in the week ending December 20 on the rising cost of directly reduced iron (DRI), the main raw material used by Indian secondary billet makers.The price of steel billet domestic, ex-works India was assessed by Fastmarkets on December 20 increased by 1,400 rupees per tonne to 27,400-27,600 rupees per tonne compar...Read More

All three indexes notched new record highs Optimism continued to lead the way on Wall Street, after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that he had a "very good talk with President Xi of China concerning our giant Trade Deal." Strong consumer spending data for the third quarter likely also gave markets a boost, along with an unrevised reading for third-quarter GDP. The Dow grabbed a 78-point gain,...Read More

RAD stock has roughly doubled this weekRite Aid Corporation (NYSE:RAD) has been on fire, on pace to roughly double in value this week thanks to the company's better-than-expected earnings and outlook from yesterday morning. RAD stock today is up 25.3% at $14.83, on pace to easily tackle the 320-day moving average for the first time since early 2017. RAD stock will now look to sustain this rally de...Read More

The Nasdaq is in the midst of an eight-day winning streakRecords were broken left and right on Wall Street this week. Tailwinds from last Friday's "phase one" China trade deal have kept the ball rolling, with the Dow and S&P 500 nabbing record closes four out of the five days this week alone. Investors mostly shrugged off off the mid-week impeachment hearings for President Donald Trump, and got...Read More

The CIS export billet market was rather quiet in the week ended Friday December 20, reflecting the approaching holiday period.Offers from CIS mills remained around $420 per tonne fob Black Sea, with some mills starting to offer February casting material.Buying activity has slowed compared with previous weeks because customers in major markets have already purchased the necessary volumes to meet th...Read More

F5 Network is planning on buying Shape Security in a $1 billion cash dealSoftware developer F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIV) announced earlier today that it plans to buy privately-held security and anti-fraud company Shape Security for approximately $1 billion in cash. As a result, FFIV stock is down 4.1% to trade at $137.81 and hit a two-month low of $132.50 earlier today, with Cowen warning that...Read More

Overall, this has been one of the best weeks in months for stocksIt's more of the same for U.S. stock markets today, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI), S&P 500 Index (SPX), and Nasdaq Composite (IXIC) have each hit fresh highs -- while the latter index is staring down an eighth straight win. Semiconductor stocks are again leading the way, extending recent trade-inspired upside. Consumer st...Read More

MRK is surging to record-high territory todayPharmaceutical name Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK) is up 1.4% to trade at $91.30 this morning, just off a roughly 20-year high of $92.64 and pennies from the record peak from 2000, on the heels of a drug approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Specifically, the FDA passed Merck's vaccine Ervebo, a preventative drug for the deadly virus Ebol...Read More

RBC believes GM could be the best auto stock in 2020General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) this morning received a bull note out of RBC that said the automaker could outperform its global peers in 2020 because it doesn't have exposure to Europe, and its new pick-up trucks have now been out for a full year in North America. The brokerage firm added that the company's free cash flow could approach $8 bill...Read More

Nabriva is eyeing its biggest one-day drop since MayThe shares of Nabriva Therapeutics (NASDAQ:NBRV) are sinking even deeper into penny stock territory today -- down 18.6% to trade at $1.40 -- after the company said it has entered into an agreement with undisclosed institutional investors for the purchase and sale of a $20 million registered direct offering. This comes despite the drugmaker resubm...Read More

BIIB options are affordably priced at the momentThe shares of Biogen Inc (NASDAQ:BIIB) are up 0.9% to trade at $300.18 this morning, after the drugmaker announced a $5 billion share repurchase program. This is the second $5 billion stock buyback Biogen has issued in 2019. Also fueling today's price action is a price-target hike from Jefferies $325 from $310, territory not charted since March. De...Read More

AAPL is continuing its impressive climb higherTechnology powerhouse Apple Inc.(NASDAQ:AAPL) is enjoying a modest lift this morning, up 0.3% at $281.02 after receiving a price-target hike to $305 from $290 at Piper Jaffray. The firm's new price sports an 8.9% upside to last night's close of $280.02. From a wider perspective, 19 of 30 covering analysts sport a "buy" or better rating coming into tod...Read More

Quadruple witching will occur later todayWall Street has spent most of the week nabbing record highs, and Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJI) futures are trending that way once more this morning. Investors are shaking off a mixed quarterly report from retail giant Nike (NKE) while considering the final third-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) report, which was unrevised, showing 2.1% growth for...Read More

Gold COT Report - Futures Large SpeculatorsCommercialTotal LongShortSpreadingLongShortLongShort 344,49358,218114,165202,432521,051661,090693,434 Change from Prior Reporting Period 15,324-3112,756-94215,39427,13828,119 Traders 21062725555290167 Small Speculators LongShortOpen Interest 55,89723,553716,987 -154-1,13526,984 non reportable positionsChang...Read More

By: Ira EpsteinGold remains under the 18 week moving average, but had a good day yesterday..Read More

Do not think of 2020. Just focus on end January. January is significant for three reasons for financial markets (a) Trump and his impeachment proceedings (b) Chinese New year is around 25th January. Chinese retail demand numbers and Chinese demand for gold and silver will be the key. (c) Brexit and increase or decrease in global mass unrest in India, Hongkong etc. At this point all these factors...Read More

Westarted yesterday’s analysis with the investigation of the Euro Index and goldprice in this European currency. Today, we’ll take a moment to analyze the goldmarket from the Indian point of view. Gold has a special place in the Indianhistory and culture, India is the second biggest “consumer” of gold (rightafter China). USA’sgold consumption is third biggest in the w...Read More

A week ago, Lagarde chaired the monetary policy meeting of the Governing Council of the ECB for the first time. An insightful press conference followed in the footsteps. What will her presidency imply for the ECB’s policy and the gold market precisely? Key Takeaways From First Lagarde Monetary Policy Meeting as ECB PresidentLast Thursday, the ECB held its December monetary policy meeting. Th...Read More