By David HaggithThe sweet grande dame of the central bankster world sees nothing but the brightest future to the furthest horizons for the markets she has been nurturing with her benevolent "wealth effect," as one of her close colleagues called it. While Grandpa Greenspan routinely warns now that stock and bond markets are in bubbles, Grandma Yellen says,I don't want to label what we're seeing a...Read More

Manganese ore prices have climbed higher in the past week, extending a run higher on relatively tight spot availability and consumer demand in China ahead of the week-long national holiday beginning on February 15. Manganese ore markets eye price increases on tight availability and Chinese demandEuropean alloys market extends trend of stable pricesUS silico-manganese prices tick higher Manganese...Read More

As you are, or should be, aware the big market plunge on Friday came as no surprise to us - it was predicted just a few days before in the article BROAD US STOCKMARKET MELTUP update, in which the point was made that habitual victims Mom and Pop were at last getting stuck into the market, making the danger of a violent reversal even greater. So what now? - does Friday's savage drop mark the star...Read More

Tightening supply in China pushed up chrome ore and domestic and imported charge chrome prices in the week to Friday February 2, while the European market dipped and the US price range widened. Tight supply, transport disruptions push up domestic Chinese ore and alloy marketsCharge chrome import prices jump on rand appreciationPrices edge up in JapanEuropean market slips amid thin tradingUS marke...Read More

- Shrinkflation continues to take hold across UK, Ireland and US for sixth year running- Shrinkflation sees consumers gets less product, but at the same or increased price- 2,500 products have shrunk according to Office of National Statistics in UK- Reported inflation is between 1.7% and 3% but actually much higher- Shrinkflation is financial fraud, unreported inflation in stealth mode- Gold...Read More

The big question is if has gold topped out for the short term. Traders are expecting a March interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve after nonfarm payrolls. My 2018 analysis is based on four interest rate hikes this year. I expect gold price to rise despite four interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. Only the pace of rise and pace of fall will not be as per trader expectation. Asian gold...Read More

Amid carnage on stock markets Monday, the most active gold futures contract on the Comex market touched a high of $1,345 an ounce, up 0.6% compared to Friday's settlement. Volumes were massive with nearly 30m ounces of April delivery gold traded by mid-afternoon as gold pared some of its earlier gains.Gold and the US dollar usually move in opposite directions but on Monday the metal attracted buyi...Read More

European apparent steel consumption is forecast to increase by 1.90% year-on-year in 2018 and by 1.40% year-on-year in 2019, European steel association Eurofer said at a seminar held in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday February 5.European steelmakers gained EU market share over the course of 2017, with import volumes falling in the second half of 2017. Steel imports held a 21% share of apparent steel...Read More

Gold projects are no longer the favourite destination of private capital raised for investment in the mining sector as optimism about electric vehicle demand steer funds into battery metals.Private-equity deals in the mining industry bounced back in 2017 according to a new report by UK law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner with investment in the sector jumping by more than 30% to $2.3 billion.43% of fu...Read More

With the Chinese economy slowing down and steel margins being squeezed by higher raw materials costs and lower finished steel prices, the prospects for 2018 do not exactly look rosy.But pressures on the domestic housing market are easing and industrial growth is still above 6%, so with the Chinese New Year just around the corner, it's probably best to wait until after the celebrations to...Read More

With the Chinese economy slowing down and steel margins being squeezed by higher raw materials costs and lower finished steel prices, the prospects for 2018 do not exactly look rosy.But pressures on the domestic housing market are easing and industrial growth is still above 6%, so with the Chinese New Year just around the corner, it's probably best to wait until after the celebrations to...Read More

Getting the right timeframe and adopting the correct investment planning approach are key differentiators between good and bad mining, according to Alcoa Corp's top executive. Companies have different approaches to mining, with some having very positive results and others relatively poor ones, Alcoa chief executive officer Roy Harvey said. "It gets back to how you think about those timescales invo...Read More

Shares in Australian zinc tailings processor New Century Resources halted trading on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) on Monday February 5, with the company set to announce offtake partners for the next three years of production.New Century has reduced the number of potential backers of the project to just a handful of international trading houses, several sources with knowledge of the matter s...Read More

RAPAPORT... Fancy color diamond prices were flat in 2017, signaling someweakness in pink and yellow diamonds during the year, according to the FancyColor Research Foundation (FCRF). The overall index for fancy color diamonds edged up 0.1%,with fancy pink diamonds declining 0.8% and yellows down 1.8%, the organizationsaid. Fancy blue diamonds continued to outperform with their index, rising 5.9%dur...Read More

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were mostly higher at the 5pm close on Monday February 5 although lead again bucked the trend.The three-month copper price rallied to a high of $7,220 per tonne earlier, hitting a fresh three-week peak. Despite retreating slightly this afternoon, the metal still closed $125 per tonne higher than Friday's close. "A previously strong flow of material i...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Fancy color diamond prices posted a slight rise in the fourth quarter of 2017 from the previous quarter, according to The Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF).   There were significant increases in prices of fancy blue diamonds, offset by continued softness in fancy yellow diamonds and stagnation in fancy pink diamond prices, the FCRF said.   The Fancy Color Diamond In...Read More

RAPAPORT... Anthony Capuano (pictured) has retired from his role as president of TheJewelers Board of Trade (JBT) after 17 years with the group, it said Friday. Capuano began his career with the JBT as a board director in2000, and was appointed president in April 2016, replacing Dione Kenyon. "We would like to thank Tony for his service to The JewelersBoard of Trade, and the jewelry industry...Read More

CAPE TOWN (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s ability to revitalise crucial infrastructure, especially rail and port networks, is among the key actions needed to bring investment back into the South African mining industry, Anglo American South Africa deputy chairperson Norman Mbazima said on Monday.Speaking on the first day of the Investing in African Mining Indaba, in which Creamer M...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Gem Diamonds achieved an average price of $2,217 per carat for its fourth quarter ending 31 December, up 19% from the third quarter, aided by a strong rise sales and the recovery of many diamonds greater than 100 carats at its Letseng mine in Lesotho.   It sold 31,476 carats during the period, up 21% from 25,909 carats in Q3 2017, and recovered seven gem quality diamonds great...Read More

Tungsten prices have climbed higher in both Europe and China in the past week on tightening availability of raw material ahead of the week-long national holiday in China beginning on February 15. China's tungsten prices rebound amid low availability  European APT, ferro-tungsten prices increase on tightening raw material supply, currency fluctuations  The approaching Chinese New Year is...Read More