In 2018, a pair of us on the MetalMiner team attended the “premier aluminum conference in Europe” — Aluminum 2018 Dusseldorf. Although Dusseldorf felt like a charming Ohio blue collar town with good beer, one of us left the event with a deep cough (obviously pre-Covid). Oddly enough, the weather alert app kept displaying daily […]
Category: Macroeconomics
Global Precious Metals MMI: monthly index rises on strong palladium prices
The Global Precious Monthly Metals Index (MMI) rose by 6.8% for this month’s reading. This represents the second month in a row of precious metals inswz increases. Last month the index increased by 4.1%. Palladium, and to a lesser extent, platinum drove the index higher. Most of the other precious metals held flat or fell. The […]
Construction MMI: Sector remains strong
In The Construction Monthly Metals Index (MMI) increased by 0.6% month over month. US construction spending rose in 2021 U.S. construction spending reached a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1,639.9 billion in December, the Census Bureau reported. The December rate marked a 0.2% increase from the revised rate November. Furthermore, the December figure jumped by […]
What impact could inflation expectations have on metal prices?
You cannot turn on the TV or read a news feed without hearing dire warnings of surging inflation. The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 6.8% year on year in November, the fastest pace since 1982. Meanwhile, while Eurozone inflation climbed to a record 4.9%. More than three-quarters of countries analyzed by Pew Research had higher […]
Construction MMI: YTD construction spending up 7.5%; Nucor to build new rebar micro mill
The Construction Monthly Metals Index (MMI) fell by 6.1% for this month’s reading, as U.S. construction spending rose by 7.5% year over year in the first 10 months of the year. MetalMiner is hosting its final webinar of the calendar year tomorrow — Wednesday, Dec. 8 — during which the MetalMiner team will overview price predictions […]
This Morning in Metals: US GDP up 2.1% in Q3, BEA reports in second estimate
This morning in metals news: U.S. GDP increased by 2.1% in Q3 2021, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported in its latest estimate; new home sales increased in October; and, lastly, average U.S. gasoline prices are higher this Thanksgiving holiday than any since 2012. Each month, MetalMiner hosts a webinar on a specific metals topic. […]
Inflation and tariffs — what’s the connection?
Inflation is currently a hot topic on Wall Street and in Washington. For many, it’s a much more immediate issue than other major issues, like the impact of climate change. A recent Financial Times post in the paper’s Trade Secrets newsletter posed a somewhat controversial but not inappropriate question: could removing tariffs be the answer […]
The ‘B’ Word, Part 2: Durability, portability and uniformity of Bitcoin
In the first part of this series, we discussed monetary inflation, the history of gold as a store of value and how digital assets, like Bitcoin, may be the next big thing in the technology of money. The narrative of gold being the premier store-of-value asset has captivated like-minded investors for centuries. In this follow-up […]
This Morning in Metals: US steel capacity utilization dips to 84.3%
This morning in metals news: U.S. steel capacity utilization dipped to 84.3% last week; the OECD reported global foreign direct investment (FDI) flows rebounded during the first half of 2021; and, lastly, the United States International Trade Commission conducted a five-year sunset review of duties on alloy magnesium from China. Get social with us. Follow […]
This Morning in Metals: Real GDP gains 2.0% in Q3, per BEA estimate
This morning in metals news: real GDP increased by 2.0% in Q3 2021, according to an estimate from the Bureau of Economic Analysis; Ford Motor Co. released its Q3 results; and, lastly, several base metals prices have continued to retrace after surging earlier this month. Want MetalMiner directly in your inbox? Sign up for weekly […]