An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More
The Friday Market Minute Global stocks retreated again Friday, as government bond yields continue to rise, following a weaker-than-expected reading of September jobs report.Non-farm payroll increased by 134,000 last month, but investors focused on the 0.3% gain in hourly wages over the headline unemployment rate falling to a 1969 low of 3.9%.The U.S. dollar index remains elevated in fo...Read More
Global scrap prices mostly strengthened in th United States, Southeast Asia and Turkey during the working week from Monday October 1 to Friday October 5, while prices in India were still falling due to the weakening rupee....Read More
European import prices for alloy steel scrap have decreased because of low demand this week....Read More
Prices for light iron scrap in the United Kingdom have been steady over the past week, extending a period of stability for the fourth consecutive week, sources told Metal Bulletin on Friday October 5....Read More
Comex copper prices inched down on Friday morning in the United States despite a weaker dollar and positive jobs data. ...Read More
Global investors will be scouring Friday's September employment report for any signs that wages are continuing to rise in the ongoing domestic boom, with bond investors re-setting bets for faster rate increases from the Federal Reserve as inflation pressures mount in the world's biggest economy. The consensus forecast for Friday's headline job creation figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics,...Read More
An overview of the battery raw materials markets and their price moves from the past week.Read More
Chinese domestic lithium compound prices were unchanged week on week on Thursday October 4 due to a national holiday, while spot prices in the other regions Fastmarkets assesses were softer on slow consumption and lower prices offered. Chinese domestic prices were rolled over due to the Golden Week holiday. Seaborne cif China, Japan and South Korea prices fell due to market expectations for l...Read More
Domestic prices for coated steel coil products in Turkey decreased slightly in the week ended Friday October 5, with demand remaining poor in the local market.But demand in the export market, mainly Europe, was quite good for coated coil.Some Turkish producers decreased their prices, however, because of the weak domestic demand in the country.Domestic pricesOne northern producer in Turkey was offe...Read More
Sentiment in Turkey's flat steel market remained negative over the week ending Friday October 5, with buyers hesitant to book material, while prices were mostly stable, sources told Fastmarkets.Turkish producers were offering flat steel for November production, with several bookings heard at reduced prices.Domestic pricesProducers have been offering hot-rolled coil (HRC) to the domestic market at...Read More
In a world of razor-thin margins and fierce competition, there is unprecedented pressure to make better decisions faster. Perhaps there was a time when natural intuition, an outsized personality and clever negotiating tactics were the only strategies needed during the annual mating season. But those days are over. In today's dynamic and volatile marketplace, successful companies must be able to so...Read More
Brazil's domestic price for rebar increased this month due to volatility in the country's currency versus the United States dollar and reports of reduced supply from local steelmakers....Read More
Domestic prices for rebar in Poland have been largely stable over the past week, supported by good demand, sources told Fastmarkets on Friday October 5....Read More
The import price for hot-briquetted iron (HBI) in Italy went up in the week ended Thursday October 4 after new deals were heard in the spot market, breaking a long-lasting silence....Read More
Global scrap prices mostly strengthened in th United States, Southeast Asia and Turkey during the working week from Monday October 1 to Friday October 5, while prices in India were still falling due to the weakening rupee....Read More
European import prices for alloy steel scrap have decreased because of low demand this week....Read More
CIS export billet prices continued to trend downward on Friday October 5 because producers had no other way to spur sales but to decrease prices.Fastmarkets' daily CIS billet index dropped by $6 per tonne day on day, to $462 per tonne fob Black Sea from $468 per tonne fob Black Sea a day earlier.Current prices were the lowest since November 2017, according to Fastmarkets' archive.Weak buying activ...Read More
Import prices for steel billet in Southeast Asia fell over the week ended Friday October 5 amid increased competition among sellers and sluggish demand from re-rollers.Fastmarkets' daily assessment of import prices for billet in Southeast Asia was $520-525 per tonne cfr Manila on Friday, the same as the previous two days amid slow trading activity.The assessment range had fallen on October 3 from...Read More
Fastmarkets' weekly price assessment for grade-304 cold-rolled (CR) sheets in Europe decreased by ?,?15 ($17) per tonne in the week ending Friday October 5 amid continued competition among stockholders, which has resulted in ever more aggressive offers being heard in the market....Read More