Clearly, China’s economy is not yet back on the recovery track, as evidenced by the mixed bag of data for May released on Monday. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), industrial production in China saw a 5.6% increase in May 2024 compared to May 2023. However, overall production was also down […]
Category: Macroeconomics
NASDAQ, S&P 500 and Other U.S. Markets Heat Up for the Start of Summer
Overall, June 2024 financial market conditions showcased significant market stabilization for the global economy. The World Bank’s projection of a 2.6% growth rate for the year signals the first steady market expansion and stabilization period in over three years. This comes despite various uncertainties and adjustments in the market following COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. Market indices […]
Aluminum MMI: Aluminum Prices Drop As Investment Funds Pull Back
Overall, the Aluminum Monthly Metals Index (MMI) rose 4.09% from May to June. Aluminum prices outperformed all other base metals throughout May, with a 5.28% rise. Prices found a peak at their highest level since June 2022 on May 29 before losing all of May’s gains during the first three weeks of June. MetalMiner’s Annual […]
Secret Weapon in the ‘Copper War’?
Copper demand continues to surge globally. And as the rest of the world struggles with the rising price of copper and the ever-changing copper market, guess who is sitting pretty? Hint: it’s China. Despite fears of a worldwide copper shortage driving copper prices to new highs, the world’s largest producer and consumer of refined copper […]
Preparing for Annual Contract Negotiations: A Guide for Metal Sourcing Companies
Metal sourcing firms must have a thorough awareness of market trends and metal prices to prepare for the approaching yearly contract negotiations in the fall. This involves identifying any swings in metals prices through in-depth investigation and analysis while also comprehending the variables behind these swings. Each week, MetalMiner’s newsletter covers these exact patterns. Sourcing […]
Norsk Hydro Comments on Current Aluminum Market Conditions
Recently, MetalMiner had the pleasure of speaking with Norsk Hydro about aluminum market trends, market insights and the general market outlook for the aluminum industry, especially in the U.S. As the premier green aluminum producer in the United States, Europe-based Norsk Hydro continues to make significant strides in helping to convert the aluminum extrusion market […]
Construction MMI: Sluggish Metal Demand in China Continues to Weigh on Industrial Metal Demand Globally
The Construction MMI (Monthly Metals Index) continued to hold sideways month-over-month, without significant bullish or bearish pressure on industrial metals. Overall, the index saw a slight 2.56% uptick in price action. However, it failed to break out of its 10-month-long sideways price range. Weekly Midwest bar fuel surcharges dropped significantly, which pulled the index down. […]
US Faces Critical Choice: Biden’s “Stability” or Trump’s “America First?”
2024 will be a year of big elections, particularly for the United Kingdom and the United States. Amid what many experts consider to be an escalating trade war, citizens in both countries can’t help but wonder what lies in store for UK and US trade. On July 4, the UK electorate will go to the […]
Stock Market Soars as S&P 500 and NASDAQ Hit Record Highs
With the most recent economic data coming in hot for this month, overall financial markets presented optimistic signals. Amid futures tied to major stock indexes rallying to new highs, markets could see a significant impact on metal prices, including gold and copper prices. The S&P500 closed just over $528, and the NASDAQ composite index closed […]
Copper Hits Record $10,000 Milestone: Experts Warn of Impending Supply Crisis
It took about 24 months for the price of copper to reach the psychological mark of U.S. $10,000 per metric ton. Three-month copper futures on the London Metal Exchange (LME) touched the $10k mark last week. The last time copper crossed this threshold was in March 2022, when it reached $10,845 per ton in the […]