By Frank HolmesStrengths? The best performing metal this week was palladium, up 0.11 percent as hedge funds boosted their net bullish in the metal. Gold traders are split between bullish and bearish on the yellow metal after the U.S. dollar rose this week. In the prior week traders were bullish and positive sentiment sent $529 million into the VanEck Gold Miners ETF.?...Read More

China's domestic rebar prices rose sharply on Monday February 26 following big gains in the billet and futures markets. Domestic Eastern China (Shanghai): 4,030-4,070 yuan ($636-642) per tonne, up 120-130 yuan per tonne Northern China (Beijing): 4,100-4,140 yuan per tonne, up 100 yuan per tonne Billet prices rose by a total of 140 yuan per tonne over the weekend and Monday morning amid active trad...Read More

We have been promising to get back to the topic of capital destruction, which we put on hiatus for the last several weeks to make our case that the interest rate remains in a falling trend. Today, we have a different way of looking at capital destruction.Socialism is the system of seeking out and destroying capital. Redistribution means taking someone's capital and handing it over as income to som...Read More

"Higher inflation, solid hedging demand, softer dollar, and improving consumption in China provide a supportive environment for prices"Continue...Read More

By Gary TanashianFor Notes From the Rabbit Hole bonds are not just an asset class 'throw-in' but instead are a key indicator set to the entire modern macro. Insofar as it may be time to use them for portfolio balance (I am currently long SHV, SHY, IEI & IEF), so much the better. Many could not wait to buy bonds during US ZIRP global NIRP operations, but today they pay better interest and have a...Read More

Current Position of the MarketSPX: Long-term trend - The bull market is continuing with a top expected in the low 3000s.Intermediate trend - An intermediate correction from 2872 may be over.Analysis of the short-term trend is done on a daily basis with the help of hourly charts. It is an important adjunct to the analysis of daily and weekly charts which discusses the course of longer market trends...Read More

By BullionStarhttps://www.bullionstar.com/The rapid emergence and commercialization of blockchain technology is undoubtedly one of the key technological trends at the moment, not just within crypto currencies, but as a disruptive technology across many industries and economic functions.At a high level, a blockchain is a distributed and public digital ledger of transactions that is updated across...Read More

Chinese ferro-silicon prices were unchanged on Friday February 23, with suppliers awaiting the return of consumers after the Lunar New Year holiday, while the European and US markets are pausing for quarterly delivery talks to discover the state of availability and demand in the next few months. Chinese market awaits consumers' return  Chinese trading reduced to inter-merchant activity ...Read More

China's ferro-chrome market was stable just after Lunar New Year, while market participants predicted prices will rise in the coming week as a result of the country's strengthening stainless sector. Ferro-chrome prices hold in China after Lunar New YearUG2 chrome ore prices edge higher in ChinaHigher ferro-chrome tender prices expected for MarchAlloy prices rise in all other regions Ferro-chrome...Read More

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 26, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AbraPlata Resource Corp. ("AbraPlata" or the "Company") (ABRA.V) (ABBRF) (1AH.F) is pleased to announce that the Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") of the Diablillos Ag-Au project is nearing completion and the Company expects to announce the results by the end of February 2018. The Company is also pleased to report that the cont...Read More

- Digital gold and crypto gold products claim to combine efficiencies of blockchain with value of gold- They are yet to provide the same benefits or safety as owning physical gold- National mints jumping in on the 'sexy blockchain' act - BOE declares bitcoin 'not a currency;' Royal Mint launches blockchain gold product- Digital gold, blockchain gold and crypto gold is frequently not fully bac...Read More

Steelmaking raw materials made strong gains on Monday as Chinese mills, responsible for half the world's steel output, on the back of speculations that the certain provinces may extend steel supply curbs beyond the winter.The Northern China import price of 62% Fe content ore gained just under 1% to the highest since April trading at $79.95 per dry metric tonne according to data supplied by The Ste...Read More

China's imports of iron ore rebounded to the second highest ever in January while those for coking coal fell to a seven-month low. Exports of scrap surged on the year, while those for coke, which include semi coke, contracted.Read More

China's ferrous futures surged in the early hours of morning trading on Monday February 26 on news of more steel production cuts in Tangshan, though the contracts - especially those for iron ore and coking coal - corrected before the end of the session.Futures closing prices - morning session Shanghai Futures Exchange May rebar: 4,013 yuan ($633) per tonne, up 1 yuan per tonne May hot-rolled coil:...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Mehul Choksi, the owner of Gitanjali Gems and one of two major businessmen allegedly involved in creating India's biggest ever banking fraud of $1.8 billion, has claimed his innocence, but nonetheless told employees to look for other jobs.   Choksi broke his silence at the weekend with an open letter to employees.   Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, both owners of large j...Read More

RAPAPORT... Eira Thomas has taken over as CEO of Lucara Diamond Corp.,replacing William Lamb, the miner said Sunday.Thomas (pictured), who has worked in the mining industry for 25 years, is a founder and director of Lucara, and a cofounder and former CEO ofStornoway Diamond Corporation. Lamb will step down from his position onthe board of directors, but will continue with Lucara in an advisory rol...Read More

JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) - Botswana-focused miner Lucara Diamond has acquired Clara Diamond Solutions, a company whose primary asset is a secure, digital sales platform aimed at transforming how rough diamonds are sold.Lucara noted that the platform would unlock value for diamond producers and manufacturers alike.Advertisement"Clara uses proprietary analytics, together with cloud and b...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Lucara Diamond Corp. has announced that William Lamb is retiring as its Chief Executive Officer and stepping down from the Board of Directors.   He will be replaced by Eira Thomas, a founder and director of the company who will be assuming the role of CEO. In addition, Catherine McLeod Seltzer, also a Lucara co-founder, will be joining the Board of Directors.   The miner...Read More

Steel producers in Russia have increased their offer prices for March-rolled hot-rolled (HR) and cold-rolled (CR) sheet, Metal Bulletin has heard."Mills say that they have a good export market; that is why they increased the offers for the local market," one source told Metal Bulletin.Metal Bulletin's assessment of prices for Russian 4mm HR sheet was 43,000 roubles ($765) per tonne cpt Moscow, inc...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The Fourth Mediterranean Gemmological and Jewelry Conference (MGJC) will take place in Budva, Montenegro, from May 18-20.   The event is organized by CGL-GRS Canada and IGL Greece and supported by IIDGR-De Beers (United Kingdom), Octonus (Finland), MAGI (Italy/Finland), MSU Gem Center(Russia), Gemewizard (Israel), Gemetrix (Australia) and NAJA (USA).   The conference of...Read More