Normally when supply is constrained prices will rise, but China’s steel market is presently at the mercy of several dynamics. Need buying strategies for steel? Try two free months of MetalMiner’s Outlook On the one hand, Beijing is constraining polluting industries like steel and coke production. Those same policy decisions, however, are hitting industries that […]
Category: Supply & Demand
This Morning in Metals: Weaker Chinese Demand Might Hold Back Copper, Aluminum Rallies
This morning in metals news, weaker demand in China could counterbalance other forces that would push the prices of copper and aluminum up, the Chinese perspective on potential looming trade actions from the Trump administration, and new research has produced a “super-strong” aluminum alloy. Buying Aluminum in 2018? Download MetalMiner’s free annual price outlook Could […]
Copper Had a Big 2017, but What Does 2018 Hold?
The 2017 calendar year saw copper heat up in a big way. According to MetalMiner IndX data, LME primary cash copper was $5,512/metric ton on Jan. 1, 2017. It closed the year at $7,215/mt, good for a meteoric rise of 30.9%. Need buying strategies for copper in 2018? MetalMiner’s Annual Outlook has what you need […]
This Morning in Metals: Metals Supplies, NLMK and Copper Tracks Back
This morning in metals news, the metals supply situation is complicated, Russian steel producer NLMK‘s output rose 3% last year and copper dropped the most it had in almost six weeks. MetalMiner’s Annual Outlook provides 2018 buying strategies for carbon steel What is the Supply Situation? According to Reuters, stocks of metals in LME industrial […]
This Morning in Metals: Steel Wins Big with New Ram, Chevy Models
This morning in metals news, two new vehicles made mostly with steel represent a victory for the steel industry, iron ore prices are down and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to continue its investigation into common alloy aluminum sheet from China. New Ram Pickup, Chevy Silverado Made with Steel As the steel industry […]
Tight Nickel Market Sees London Prices Hit $13,200 Per Metric Ton
LME nickel prices hit $13,200 per ton last Wednesday, the highest level since June 2015 before investors took profits and the price fell back a touch to $12,870 per metric ton. Prices were led higher by the ShFE, where stock have fallen to 48,920 tons from over 90,000 tons just a year ago — and […]
Week in Review: Section 232 Report Moves to Trump, MMIs and Oil
Before we head into the weekend, let’s take a quick look back at the week that was here on MetalMiner: Need buying strategies for steel? Try two free months of MetalMiner’s Outlook This week we wrapped up the latest round of posts for our January Monthly Metals Index (MMI) — check out this week’s posts […]
The Crude Oil Price Continues Upward March Amid Political Turmoil, Demand Growth
Amongst a plethora of news, comment and opinion, it is often like struggling through a jungle when trying to get clarity on the commodities landscape. Sometimes, there is almost too much information. Two-Month Trial: Metal Buying Outlook So, an analysis in the Financial Times entitled “Five things to watch as Brent crude oil nears $70” […]
Week in Review: Chinese Capacity Cuts, Podcast Ep. 4 and Bitcoin
Before we come to the end of the first business week of 2018, let’s look back at some of the stories on MetalMiner so far this year: Chinese supply-side reforms generally have a big impact on metal prices — such was the case for copper, as our Stuart Burns wrote early this week. In case […]
The Markets Have Bought in to the OPEC-led Output Cuts
After hitting a low of below $43/barrel in mid-2017, the oil price has risen inexorably to its highest level since 2015, according to the Financial Times. Rising some 35% since July, Brent crude hit over $67/barrel as hedge funds heap long positions despite the market, by most accounts, still being in surplus. OPEC’s alliance with […]
