Aluminum supply remains a major topic of discussion among metal buyers. Traditional smelting and metal manufacturing remain the most widely used metal manufacturing methods worldwide. However, “green” metal initiatives have witnessed growth in recent years. Recently, I interviewed representatives from Norsk Hydro, a recycled and green aluminum company based out of Norway, to gain insight […]
Category: Automotive
Automotive MMI: UAW Strike Finally Over
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) moved sideways month-over-month, rising in price by just 2.31%. Save for hot-dipped galvanized steel, most parts of the index also traded sideways, mainly due to a lack of strong bullish or bearish pressure. Hot-dipped galvanized proved the only outlier due to steel corporations hiking prices. However, the main headline […]
Automotive MMI: Possible UAW Strike Could Seriously Impact Industry
Month-over-month, the Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) slid downward by 3.42%. Steel prices within the index, like hot-dipped galvanized, trended sideways. However, copper and lead fell, introducing bearish pressure. Overall, the U.S. automotive industry witnessed some dynamic changes month-over-month. More robust demand for personal transport continues to emerge as supply chains regain strength. This will […]
Automotive MMI: Consumer Demand Still Up, Sideways Steel Prices Helping Automotive Industry
Compared to other metal industries, components of the automotive industry still remain somewhat strong, despite the Automotive MMI (Monthly Metal Index’s) sideways movement over the past seven months. Pent-up consumer demand still runs strong in the industry. However, it still continues to battle high interest rates and falling steel prices due to slumping demand. There […]
Automotive MMI: Automobile Sales Rise, but Falling Steel Demand Impacts Market
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) continued its decline in June, this time falling by 3.28%. The aluminum and copper components of the index traded sideways. However, all other parts of the index dropped. Lead prices managed to trend more sideways in June than in May, but weak demand continues to impact lead and steel […]
Automotive MMI: Index Slides, High Car Costs Impede Buyers
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) broke its sideways trend this past month, inching down 3.36%. Though all components of the index fell, hot-dipped galvanized steel experienced a particularly noticeable price drop, as did several other steel types.This could indicate a trend reversal. However, consumer purchasing must rise in order for a reversal to happen, […]
Experts Anticipate Long-Term Volatility in the Lithium Market
Lithium, a crucial component in electric vehicles (EVs), seems to be the metal of the season. Indeed, over the past month, the market has seen loads of fresh developments around lithium pricing. Lithium mining and lithium battery usage have also been effected. Moreover, sector experts anticipate that lithium prices will continue to be volatile over […]
Automotive MMI: Vehicle Sales Up, Steel Prices Dropping
April saw a welcome boost in sales within the U.S. automobile market. New vehicle inventories are now in healthy shape. However, interest rates are still high, as are new vehicle prices. Moreover, the Automotive MMI index still has several factors working against it. Steel prices, notable HDG traded not only sideways, but completely flat. In […]
Automotive MMI: HDG, Palladium and Shredded Scrap Steel Prices Jump
The Automotive MMI (Monthly Metals Index) rose significantly from March to April, jumping by 9.01%. This represents the highest rise the index has seen in over a year. Numerous drivers helped bring prices up, with every part of the index rising month-over-month, including: The steel parts of the index (in particular HDG) followed trend with […]
Rare Earths MMI: Prices Plunge, Flatten, Then Rise
The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) dropped drastically again this month, suffering a 15.5% decline. Despite this, downward price action began to slow down and flatten around March 16. As of March 30, prices began to rise again. Further adding to the confusion was the fact that some components in the index traded flat. […]