The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) fell 11.17% from January to February as steel prices declined. U.S. flat rolled steel prices continued to slide after finding a peak at the close of 2023. Following a 2% decline throughout January, hot rolled coil prices fell over 5% during the first half of February. HRC prices […]
Nichole Bastin
Stainless MMI: Stainless Steel Prices, a Bearish Market, Outokumpu Expects Quarterly Improvement
The downtrend for nickel prices showed signs of exhaustion, with significant potential to impact stainless steel prices. Nickel moved sideways throughout January with a modest 1.60% decline. While directional momentum remained slow, prices continued to edge lower during the first weeks of February and now sit at their lowest level since April 2021. Overall, the […]
Copper MMI: Copper Prices Remain Sideways as China Uncertainty Looms
Copper prices today remain trapped in a sideways range. Prices lack enough bearish or bullish momentum to establish a strong trend in either direction. Prices declined during the first weeks of January, falling to their lowest level since November. However, they rebounded in the second half of the month. This brought them a mere 0.52% […]
Copper MMI: Deep Market Contango, Index Moves Sideways
Copper prices saw a 1.90% increase during the final month of the year. By late December, this managed to bring them to their highest level since August, leading to mixed copper price forecasts for 2024. However, prices began to retrace from their 5-month peak by the start of 2024. By mid-January, they remained trapped within […]
Aluminum MMI: U.S. Demand Muted, Russian LME Stocks Hit 90%
Following a more than 8% month-over-month increase in December, aluminum prices retraced during the first weeks of January, returning to their sideways trend. Markets appeared to shake off alumina supply jitters that saw prices spike at the end of 2023, as global demand remains muted. Nonetheless, there remains no expert consensus as to the overall […]
Raw Steels MMI: Steel Prices Weak Amid Backwardation
The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) rose 3.25% from December to January. U.S. flat rolled steel prices closed the year decidedly bullish. A nearly 14% month-over-month rise saw HRC prices easily outperform all base metals both during the month and throughout 2023 as a whole. Meanwhile, plate prices saw an upside correction after prices […]
Stainless MMI: Stainless Demand Muted, Nickel Price Falling as Market Enters Seasonal High Point
The nickel price remained within a strong downtrend throughout November, hitting its lowest point since April 2021. While prices appeared to stabilize during the first half of December, the nickel market has overwhelmingly proven itself the worst-performing base metal, with a roughly 45% year-to-date drop. Overall, the Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways, falling […]
Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Sideways as UK Sanctions Leave Market Uncertainty
Aluminum prices continued to trade sideways during November and the first three weeks of December. Amid the long-term consolidation, prices sit only 6% beneath where they stood at the start of the year. Overall, the Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained sideways, with a modest 0.34% decline from November to December. MetalMiner’s 2024 Annual Metals […]
Copper MMI: Possible Deficit Shifts Copper Price Outlook
Still short of a breakout, current copper prices lifted off their October lows during November and have yet to see a major downside correction. Nonetheless, copper prices remain sideways and sit only 1.5% above where they stood at the start of 2023. An increase among all of its components helped the Copper Monthly Metals Index (MMI) […]
Stainless MMI: Stainless Market Bearish, Nickel Prices Prove Worst-Performing Base Metal of 2023
Nickel prices remained within a strong downtrend throughout November, hitting their lowest level since April 2021. While prices appeared to stabilize during the first half of December, the nickel market has overwhelmingly proven itself the worst-performing base metal with a roughly 45% year-to-date drop. Overall, the Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) remained bearish, with a […]
