AMT Insight – Base Metals: Speculative Bubbles Build

Base Metals Copper Lead Nickel Primary Aluminium Tin Zinc

12 April 2024: After a weak start to 2024, base metal prices jumped in March and early April, mainly driven by speculative forces. There are three reasons to believe that prices look overextended. First, net speculative positions look very high for copper and tin and rallies in nickel and zinc look difficult to justify given […]

April 15, 2024 - Dan Smith

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Base Metals: China Flatters to Deceive

Base Metals Copper Nickel Primary Aluminium Tin Zinc

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

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Base Metals: China Bounce Back to Boost Prices

Base Metals Copper Lead Nickel Primary Aluminium Zinc

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

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Tight Zinc Market Battling Global Growth Headwinds

Zinc

After two years of stimulus-fuelled gains, zinc prices are off highs as global growth headwinds threaten the zinc demand outlook and broader risk appetite. However, ex-China inventory scarcity, European smelter curbs due to high energy prices, and significant global deficit projections for 2022 should help zinc weather the macro-storm.

May 30, 2022 - Dan Smith

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