Look beyond market approach to project valuations: van ZylLeadershipFuture remains golden for Rox ResourcesSPONSOREDrox resourcesCashed-up Karora is doubling gold production at a blistering paceSPONSOREDkarora resourcesZinc-lead discovery helps Zenith double market capSPONSOREDzenith mineralsFairfax - whose subsidiaries are engaged in insurance, reinsurance and investment management - has acquired...Read More

The London Metal Exchange will adapt its rule book to include new closure provisions for its open-outcry ring, Fastmarkets heard on Monday August 9. And the anonymous nature of responses to the recent pricing consultation means that the Ring's long-term prospects were still in doubt.The exchange operates Europe's last open-outcry market trading venue, known as the Ring, where brokers make markets...Read More

Stronger-than-expected United States employment figures on Friday August 6 turned the dollar higher, which weighed on prices, with most base metals weaker this morning, Monday August 9, but gold and silver underwent a ‘flash crash’ at the start of trading in Asia.* Signs of a stronger US recovery weighed heavily on gold and silver on Friday, which led to a chaotic start to trading this m...Read More

The London Metal Exchange will go ahead with its proposal to move official prices back to the open-outcry trading ring, but closing prices will be determined electronically via LMESelect, it announced on Monday August 9.The exchange has published the outcome of its consultation on price determination, which was begun in June. The consultation paper only received 12 responses.By comparison, the ori...Read More

China's January-to-July copper import volumes dropped by more than a tenth compared with the first seven months of 2020, the latest Chinese customs data shows. The biggest copper buyer in the world bought 3.219 million tonnes of unwrought copper and copper products in the first seven months this year, down 10.6% compared with the same period in 2020 which was a record year for imports.The average...Read More

U.S. equity index futures were lower this morning. S&P 500 futures were down 8 points in pre-opening trade. American National Insurance is expected to open higher after Brookfield Reinsurance agreed to acquire the company at $190 per share cash. Value of the deal is $5.1 billion.Berkshire Hathaway added $2.89 to $288.52 after reporting higher than consensus second quarter earnings. Dollar Tree...Read More

On August 9, there was a blast at Novolipetsk Steel's (NLMK) oxygen plant in Lipetsk, Russia, but it will only have a minor impact on production, the company told Fastmarkets.The blast caused the roof to ignite but it has now been neutralized, the company said. No one was injured."The accident has not impacted key production assets' logistic infrastructure and repair...Read More

Export slab prices from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) continued to fall in early August due to a lack of demand from major overseas buyers.European customers were mainly absent due to the summer holidays in the region and there was limited trading activity in Turkey's domestic and export hot-rolled coil (HRC) markets, resulting in lower interest in imported slab.Turkish HRC pro...Read More

The European hot-rolled coil market remained slow on Monday August 9 due to seasonal factors, sources told Fastmarkets.Buyers and sellers are expected to return to the market in late August or early September, following the traditional market cycle."The market is almost dead - Europe is on holiday and buyers have a wait-and-see attitude," a German distributor said.Traded volumes are unlikely to be...Read More

Trading activity in the European hot-rolled coil market has been low in the week to Friday August 6 due to the start of the summer slowdown.Sufficient buyer stocks and slow August activity have weakened trading but activity should recover between the end of August and the first half of September, sources said.Most domestic producers only had HRC available from fourth-quarter rolling material, whil...Read More

Spot prices for rebar imports in Singapore increased in the week to Friday August 6 on decreasing spot supply and higher offers.A major Indian steel mill offered rebar at $750 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical-weight basis, while a second Indian steel mill offered rebar at $775 per tonne cfr Singapore on a theoretical-weight basis."The first steel mill is not able to guarantee some aspects...Read More

Trading activities across China's domestic hot-rolled coil spot market improved on Monday August 9 after prices declined.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,720-5,780 yuan ($883-892) per tonne, down by 20-70 yuan per tonneThe most-traded HRC contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange slipped to a three-day low of 5,651 yuan per tonne on Monday morning, before clawing back some losses to finish the...Read More

Heavy rain in the upper and middle reaches of the Changjiang River has led to lower activity at construction sites, pushing down spot market rebar prices on Monday August 9.DomesticEastern China (Shanghai): 5,180-5,220 yuan ($800-806) per tonne, down by 20 yuan per tonneHeavy rain in certain parts of Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guizhou and Yunnan, have had a serious impact...Read More

China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) has announced an increase to the minimum margin for speculative trading of its most-active September coking coal contract to 20%, from 15%.The increase takes effect on Monday August 9, it said on Thursday August 5.This is the exchange's second such adjustment, having raised the minimum margin to 15% from 11% on August 2.The DCE is also adjusting the minimum...Read More

Import prices for steel scrap in Turkey dipped on Monday August 9 after recent bookings made by steel mills in the country came to light at the start of this week, sources told Fastmarkets.A steel mill in the Iskenderun region bought a United States-origin cargo for September shipment comprising 30,000 tonnes of HMS 1&2 (80:20) at $461 per tonne, and 5,000 tonnes of shredded and 5,000 tonnes of bo...Read More

Shipbreaking steel scrap prices in Turkey dropped during the week to Monday August 9, in line with prices for imported scrap, market participants told Fastmarkets.Turkish steel mills booked at least five deep-sea cargoes, with prices dropping through the week.Fastmarkets' assessment for steel scrap, heavy melting scrap 1&2 (80:20 mix) United States origin, cfr Turkey was calculated at $463.90...Read More

Brazil's pig iron export market dropped in the week to Friday August 6 due to pressure from bearish buyers in the United States, sources told Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets' price assessment for pig iron, export, fob port of Vitoria/Rio, Brazil was $540-542 per tonne on Friday, down from $560-570 per tonne a week earlier.A sale of 55,000 tonnes of pig iron with September shipment was heard to...Read More

Stronger-than-expected United States employment figures on Friday August 6 turned the dollar higher, which weighed on prices, with most base metals weaker this morning, Monday August 9, but gold and silver underwent a 'flash crash' at the start of trading in Asia.Signs of a stronger US recovery weighed heavily on gold and silver on Friday, which led to a chaotic start to trading this morning. US 1...Read More

Key data from the Friday August 6 pricing session in London and ChinaKey driversCobalt hydroxide payables fell in the second half of the week to Friday August 6 after a rise on August 4, with a deal reported at a higher level. Most buyers were still reluctant to accept a higher level in the second half of the week considering...Read More

The Cobalt standard grade, in-whs Rotterdam, $/lb trade log including business, bids and offers reported to Fastmarkets.Fastmarkets publishes trades logs for its key price assessments and indices to bring more transparencyinto the markets it covers and the pricing process it applies.Fastmarkets...Read More