Steel prices have waxed and waned more than usual this past year. MetalMiner has reported extensively on all of the various factors contributing to this unpredictability. Of course, you can’t ignore China’s rolling COVID lockdowns or the year-long supply chain hangups. However, we feel one of the biggest X factors for the global steel supply […]
The MetalMiner Team
Significant Decline in LME Stock Levels Brings Commodity Markets into the Spotlight
MetalMiner follows the LME (London Metal Exchange) very closely, as it remains the largest commodities exchange for base metal options and futures. Recently, we mentioned how the LME had quietly withdrawn its precious metals contracts due to low liquidity. However, that’s only part of the story when it comes to dwindling LME stock. Both LME […]
Construction MMI: Indices and Demand Decline for Another Month
The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) extended its decline from last month. Altogether, the index fell 10.69% from June to July. China is Poised to Inject Big Money into Infrastructure News recently broke that China’s State Council is preparing to increase credit lines across the board, providing an additional 800 billion yuan to fund […]
Automotive MMI: Industrial Metal Supply Woes, EV Demand Grows
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) experienced another decline from June to July. After a -6.53 drop last month, the 30-day price change jumped to -7.77%. As with the previous months, the automotive industrial metal marketplace has been plagued by problems. Curiously enough, it’s supply – not demand – that can’t make any headway towards […]
Copper Prices Plunge, But Chile Remains Optimistic
Copper price and prices have long been considered a major indicator of global economic health. So when they plunged to 16-month lows on June 23, investors quickly hit the “panic button.” According to this CNN Business article, the commodity’s 11% drop over two weeks shows that global growth is slowing. However, not everyone agrees. Chile’s […]
Estimating Stainless Steel Costs Becoming More Complicated
Last Month, MetalMiner reported that stainless steel cost had been holding strong amid high demand and increased production. However, we did identify some cracks in what might otherwise look like a solid recovery. As we transition from Q2 to Q3, some of those cracks have grown significantly. Low Demand in China Affecting Stainless Steel Cost […]
Construction MMI: Optimism Rises While Indices Decline
The Construction MMI dropped by 9.41% from May into June. The decline comes amid growing optimism about the state of the industry. Even so, talk of recession continues to cast a shadow over the post-COVID economy. U.S. Construction Market Expected to Grow 3% by 2026 Despite the doom and gloom recession talk going on, […]
Automotive MMI: Lower Metals Prices and Slumping Supply Dominate the May Market
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) experienced a slight decline from May into June. The 30-day price change was roughly -9.55, a -6.52% drop. As with last month, multiple crises impacted the marketplace’s overall health. Among them are an ongoing microchip shortage and COVID-19 lockdowns. Below, we’ll discuss if and when we can expect normalization. […]
Is the Battery Metals Gold Rush Really Over?
The term battery metals typically refers to lithium, nickel, and cobalt. The name stems from the fact that the three metals are frequently used in the production of all types of modern batteries. Since 2021, these metals have enjoyed a rather lengthy bull run. This has proved profitable for investors and provided some much-needed predictability […]
Big Trouble in Big China: Lack of Metals Demand
Metal processors and traders throughout China are facing a grim reality today. Thanks to major economic shifts both within the country and without, metals demand has plummeted. Of course, it’s not great news for the world’s biggest metals manufacturer. But what does it mean for the rest of the world? A Hard Few Years with […]