15th May 2023: Base metal prices have diverged so far year, as fundamental drivers have started to reassert themselves. In particular, tin was supported by concerns about supply shortages, due to problems in Myanmar and copper prices have been resilient, helped by the green energy transition. By contrast, significant weakness was seen in aluminium, lead, […]
May 15, 2023 - Dan Smith
Copper prices have fallen in recent weeks, as financial markets have started to worry about the impact of rising US interest rates and the ripples emanating from the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. Copper arbitrage on COMEX is also trending down in line with lower speculative positions on the LME, confirming a broad retreat. However, […]
March 22, 2023 - Dan Smith
31st January 2023: Last year was a weak period for most of the base metals and prices trended lower through the year, although nickel was an exception and followed its own bullish path. By contrast, aluminium, copper, tin and zinc prices have all rallied this year, despite a weak fundamental backdrop. While there is currently […]
January 31, 2023 - Dan Smith
Base metal prices have rallied in recent weeks and copper prices have jumped, despite the backdrop of weakness in global manufacturing and continued lockdowns in China. Investor sentiment is still depressed compared to recent history, but is tentatively moving higher on hopes that we may be close to a turning point in the economic cycle. […]
November 11, 2022 - Dan Smith
28th September 2022: Copper prices fell in the past month, as inflation seems to be running out of control in the US and recession fears are elevated. Copper is closely tracking economic variables, showing that the headwinds from a strong US currency are significant. Fundamentals are looking supportive though and Chinese demand looks set to […]
September 28, 2022 - Dan Smith
Copper prices set an all-time high of $10,845 in early March after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but have since pared gains amid LME liquidity issues and rising headwinds to global growth. “Green demand” optimism underpins copper’s bullish long term prospects, but fading ex-China stimulus and strong mine supply growth could see prices moderate from elevated […]
April 1, 2022
Why is copper rebounding? Escalating physical market tightness has jolted the copper price into life after several months of directionless trading. Declining copper exchange inventories and heightened inflation concerns prompted by the global energy crisis have acted as a catalyst for historically extreme LME spread tightness and a resurgence in 3M prices to within a […]
October 20, 2021