By Avi GilburtFor those that have been following our work closely, you would know that we called for the bottoming in the crypto complex back at the end of 2018, and saw strong potential for the bull market to resume. Our subscribers benefited quite nicely from our timely and accurate call at the time.In our last public article on Seeking Alpha, we stated our belief that the rally off the Decemb...Read More

Facebook gets deservedly bad press, and yet the stock is rapidly approaching record highs. The latest headline suggests the company's planned foray into cryptocurrencies will be stillborn. Trump's administration has cited national security concerns, but the real story is that no one trusts Zuckerberg any longer. Every time he gets caught violating users' privacy in some appalling new way, he off...Read More

A multi-year low in the cobalt metal price in China triggered the speculative buying witnessed over the week to July 12, which is likely to be followed by restocking activity in the spot market, Fastmarkets learned.Fastmarkets' assessment of the price for cobalt 99.8% Co min, ex-works China was at 210,000-230,000 yuan ($12.27-13.43 per lb, minus China VAT) per tonne on Friday July 12, down nearly...Read More

Global alumina prices have plummeted over the past two months in June and July due to poor demand and a surplus of excess cargoes in the market.Alumina prices in Western Australia, Brazil and China are all down over 15% since May and close to their lowest level in over two years. This is a stark contrast to this time last year, when alumina prices were trading close to record highs following strik...Read More

A summary of London Metal Exchange warrant premiums from across the globe for the week to Wednesday July 17.Please click...Read More

Gold miners are outperforming the S&P 500 this year.Lots of upside for gold miners from here.WMA fundamental ranking of the gold miners.Gold miners have been popping up on our radar screen thanks to positive EPS revisions of late. For example, in our EPS Revisions Changes Monitor for Monday, July 8, we had a few more miners see their consensus profit outlooks revised higher for the current yea...Read More

Nickel's three-month price on the London Metal Exchange continued its uptrend at the close of trading on Wednesday July 17, appreciating by 3% to surpass $14,400 per tonne and trade at its highest level in a year.The metal's futures price traded at an intraday low of $13,900 per tonne during Asian trading hours, before climbing to an intraday high of $14,460 per tonne during the European trading d...Read More

Physical iron ore prices fell backward on Wednesday July 17 amid losses in the futures market, after the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) increased the cost of trading.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.27 per tonne, down by $0.88 per tonne.Fastmarkets' index for iron ore 62% Fe Pilbara Blend Fines, cfr Qingdao: $121.19 per tonne, down by $0.88 per tonne.Fastmarkets' in...Read More

It would take an extraordinary set of deflationary circumstances for the Federal Reserve to lower rates 75 basis points this year as the market is pricing in.Market's expectations for a significant easing cycle by the Fed are unlikely to be met. Front-end treasury yields are likely to move higher, flattening the yield curve.Gold acts as an inflation hedge and struggles to compete with rising y...Read More

Investing.com - Gold prices fell on Wednesday in Asia on hints that the U.S. and Iran may be willing to hold talks.Retail sales gained 0.4% in June, outpacing consensus forecasts for a 0.1% advance. The data sparked buying interest in the U.S. dollar and pushed Treasury yields higher, which in turn put pressure on the yellow metal.Gold futures for August delivery on the Comex division of the New Y...Read More

The Australian Dollar and its ETF (NYSEARCA: FXA) have traded sideways for much of the past 4 years (see blue shaded area on chart above).And since the Aussie Dollar and precious metals are highly correlated, this hasn't helped gold and silver.But this setup may be changing soon as a big test comes into play for the AU$.It is currently testing falling resistance on a bullish falling wedge pattern....Read More

Tin premiums across all global locations were flat in the week ending Tuesday July 16, with the metal's volatile three-month price and weakening demand picture capping spot liquidity. Some say weak European demand is weighing on sales, premiums. US market illiquid; premiums hold, despite pressure from aggressive new suppliers. Weak demand kept Chinese tin premiums unchanged.Low prices, supportive...Read More

An overview of the minor metals markets and the reasons for any price moves.Read More

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Wednesday July 17 that are worth another look.China's top copper concentrate buyers are in a fix. On Thursday July 18, the historically powerful China Smelter Purchase Team will gather for a quarterly meeting that traditionally is an arena for members to share information on trade flows and maintenance schedules, and to set a quarterly...Read More

The United States could be hit with sanctions from China if countervailing duties targeting 22 Chinese goods are not recalculated after the World Trade Organization appellate body determined on Tuesday July 16 that the US violated WTO rulings with those duties.The WTO Appellate Body ruled 2-1 that the US countervailing duties were inconsistent with WTO rulings, determining that the US had not prov...Read More

China's top copper concentrate buyers are in a fix.On Thursday July 18, the historically powerful China Smelter Purchase Team (CSPT), which comprises purchasing managers from the country's 10 top-rated state-backed copper smelters, will gather in Hunchun city for their quarterly meeting.Traditionally, the forum is an arena for members to share information on trade flows and maintenance schedules,...Read More

Insurer AON and software developer Gen10 have joined Dutch bank Rabobank, international trading firm Concord Resources and warehousing firm PGS in the development of the blockchain trading platform for the metal repo financing business.Beyond Commodities will initially settle digital metal repo transactions in which aluminium stored at PGS will be sold and re-purchased by Concord to...Read More

Fastmarkets' zinc premiums in northern Europe rose in the week to Tuesday July 16 on increased spot interest, while premiums in Asia and the United States were unchanged due to muted buying appetite after the cash/three-month London Metal Exchange zinc spread swung to a backwardation. The LME cash/three-month zinc spread returned to backwardation after a short-lived contango. Northern Europe...Read More

US wire rod prices have trended downward for six straight months to hit a 16-month low, driven primarily by weak demand and high inventory levels, Fastmarkets has learned. Fastmarkets' assessment for steel wire rod (low carbon) industrial quality, fob mill US, fell to $32.50-33.50 per hundredweight ($650-670 per short ton) on Tuesday July 16, down by 4.3% from $34-35 per cwt in June and down 18% f...Read More

Russia's largest steelmaker, Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), will increase the capacity for steel slabs at its Lipetsk facility in western Russia, the company said on Wednesday July 17.The company has started construction and installation work for a complete overhaul of continuous casting machine (CCM) No9.The overhaul will increase the machine's capacity by 80%, to 1.8 million tonnes per year of slabs,...Read More