Industrial Metals Update Can protectionism save beleaguered aluminium producers? With profits under pressure, aluminium producers outside China have recently campaigned for protectionist trade measures in an attempt to defend themselves against cheap Chinese imports. However, we... 12th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Prices fail to heed fundamentals Ongoing declines in stocks of many LME metals have failed to prevent prices from falling further over the last month. Of course, stocks can be subject to manipulation and may not be an accurate... 11th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Cobalt supply unlikely to keep pace with demand Demand for cobalt looks set to grow rapidly for the foreseeable future given its use in rechargeable batteries. But the supply outlook is deteriorating, suggesting scope for prices to rally strongly. 10th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Aluminium prices weaken as output remains strong Aluminium prices have continued their rapid decline, reaching a six-year low. Production has still not responded to lower prices though, and Chinese output is growing particularly strongly. Therefore... 2nd November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Falling mine supply to boost zinc prices in 2016 Scheduled closure of some large depleted mines coupled with producer cutbacks in response to low prevailing prices will lead to a relative shortage of zinc concentrates and will curb the recent... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update REE supply cuts set to push up prices Low rare earths (REE) prices seem to be pushing up China’s exports as previously-delayed purchases are ramped up. However, recent pledges by a number of Chinese REE producers that they would smelt... 27th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Iron ore prices to fall further on strong supply The ongoing ramp up in supply and ever-lower cash costs at the major producers suggest that the iron ore market will remain well supplied. With subdued steel demand and output, we expect prices to... 23rd October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Across-the-board strength in China’s metals imports The latest data on China’s metals imports suggest that recent fiscal and monetary stimulus, particularly infrastructure spending, are starting to feed through to stronger commodity demand. 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Steel prices to recover, but not until next year A combination of weak Chinese demand, destocking in North America and poor economic conditions in Brazil and the CIS is weighing on steel demand this year. At the same time, global output has been... 14th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Precious metals rally as sentiment improves The prices of precious metals (PMs) have rallied since mid-September, as sentiment towards commodities in general improved. While the Fed’s dovishness has been the biggest catalyst for changes in gold... 13th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update How long can markets shrug off low stocks? For the most part, LME metal stocks have fallen since the start of September, in some cases to multi-year lows. However, concerns about demand continue to weigh on prices. We expect the low level of... 13th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Consensus is moving towards a copper deficit next year Planned and unplanned cuts to copper supply now make it increasingly likely that the market will be in deficit next year (and possibly this year), even with very subdued demand projections. This... 8th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Can tin prices continue to outperform? Tin prices have risen recently, defying the generally negative sentiment towards metals. As we move into 2016, we expect stronger growth in demand to lead to further price gains. 7th October 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Zinc’s fall from favour should be short-lived An unexpected spike in LME inventories in the last month has raised concerns about oversupply and contributed to a sharp drop in the price of zinc. However, stocks remain historically low and, with... 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update China’s import data show some areas of strength The latest data on China’s imports and exports do not paint a picture of a slump in domestic demand. But there are nuances, with imports of some metals holding up better than others. 22nd September 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Flagging up the risks to copper mine supply The earthquake that hit Chile yesterday served as a reminder of the vulnerability of the copper market to disrupted mine output from key producing countries. With El Niño underway, persistent strike... 18th September 2015 · 1 min read
