Cobalt prices fell in the first half of the week after slow consumer demand and strong discounts on long-term contracts incited aggressive offers from sellers.
Fastmarkets price assessment for standard-grade cobalt in-warehouse Rotterdam was $15.35-16.10 per lb on Wednesday May 29, down from $16-16.55 per lb at the end of last week. Alloy-grade prices settled at $16.15-17 per lb, in-warehouse Rotterdam, down 4.5% from the previous assessment of $17-17.70 per lb. A tender in Europe, after a few weeks of quiet spot activity and a retreat in prices, attracted aggressive offers from sellers, mindful that hefty discounts - of double digits in some cases - mean buyers are picking...