The London Metal Exchange is back in the limelight again, along with its notorious nickel contract. This time, the news has to do with reports of potential fraud with a recent LME nickel shipment. The scrutiny comes following the discovery of nine warrants, some 54 tons of Nickel briquettes, that turned out to contain rocks. […]
Tag: nickel
2022 Stainless Steel and Nickel Price Trends
Stainless and nickel price trends fluctuated much more than carbon steel throughout 2022. The LME nickel squeeze greatly strained both the nickel and stainless steel markets. Indeed, LME nickel prices skyrocketed by almost $25,000 per metric ton back in March. Soon after, the rally cooled down again, eventually bottoming out in July. Come November, prices […]
Stainless MMI: Reduced Stainless Imports Could Cause Shortages, Bullish Nickel Price
The Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved up with a 7.32% rise from November to December. Meanwhile, the nickel price index appeared decidedly bullish throughout the month. While nickel prices modestly retraced from their early month rally, upside price action continued to support the short-term range breakout. Sustained increases should foster further bullish anticipation, which […]
Nickel Market Volatility Leaves Buyers Confused
November marked a rocky roller coaster for many metal prices, and the nickel price index was no exception. After the sharp rally at the beginning of the month, nickel prices eventually bounced back down. At the time, MetalMiner noted that the rally would prove short-term at best and didn’t indicate a true reversal. The LME’s […]
Conditions Ripe for a Nickel Price Squeeze
The recent rise in aluminum, copper, and nickel price have created some short-term uncertainty as companies finalize their long-term contracts for 2023. Earlier this month, all three metals rose on the back of rumors that China might begin easing zero-COVID restrictions. In addition, the USD index has dropped from its September peak of 114. As […]
Stainless MMI: Nickel prices trade down but remain elevated amid lower LME volumes
The Stainless Monthly Metals Index (MMI) jumped by 25.07% from March to April, as nickel prices remained elevated. Nickel prices continue to trade slightly downward. However, nickel prices remain elevated from pre-invasion levels. Volume flow fluctuated among exchanges in recent days due to distrust of the LME, while nickel prices began to trade within an […]
MetalMiner Q&A: LME nickel turmoil, volume volatility and what’s next for the exchanges
The MetalMiner team has broken down the significant fluctuations in the LME nickel contract this month. But now that a few weeks have passed since the LME first suspended trading, it’s time to take a look at some other interesting trends at play on the LME and elsewhere. In this question-and-answer session, MetalMiner’s Stuart Burns […]
LME nickel hits the buffers again
You must wonder what would have happened if the LME had left the nickel market alone — after nickel prices embarked on a meteoric rise March 7 — and allowed the short covering price spike to work out. Yes, the shorts would have been badly burned. That would have included not just Tsingshan Holding Group […]
The LME nickel price debacle continues
Well, if you thought the London Metal Exchange’s unprecedented suspension of trading last week took the steam out of the nickel market and nickel prices, and that the world would revert to orderly conduct Wednesday when the LME resumed trading, you would have been wrong. Nickel price chaos The LME had set trading limits of […]
LME suspends nickel trading due to short squeeze
The London Metal Exchange (LME) halted nickel trading effective 8:15 a.m. London time today. The contract will remain suspended for the remainder of today. According to the LME, the price movement in Asia overnight combined with the situation between Russia and Ukraine led to the decision to halt trading. Furthermore, the LME said it would […]
