Outright cobalt hydroxide index edges up in May; payables may lose strength to rise further

Outright spot cobalt hydroxide prices picked up in May with buyers seeking nearby units to fill gaps created by delayed shipments out of South Africa, and paying a premium to do so.

Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide index, min 30% Co, cif China was calculated at $10.32 per lb on Friday May 29, up by 3.41% from the calculation at the end of April.
The monthly index takes account of the month's spot cobalt hydroxide activities concluded on the basis of a fixed price, rather than a payable tied to the metal price, and previously settled at $9.98 per lb on April 30.
Fixed prices have the benefit of cutting exposure to an unknown metal price, since payables are settled against an average (usually unknown, future) metal price over a specified period.

In contrast, payables averaged 63.87% in May, (taking the average midpoint of Fastmarkets' cobalt hydroxide payable indicator), against an average metal price of $14.91 per lb (taking the low-end of the assessment for cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam). An effective hydroxide price would be $9.52 per lb if...

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