Posted on 08 February 2010 by VRS
From Smh.com.au: A week ago the resident rational bear, Gerard Minack, was warning of a 25 per cent market plunge this year, but now he’s telling clients to buy industrial commodities, citing a Morgan Stanley colleague’s prediction that base metals prices will jump by 30 per cent and more in 2010. [more]
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Posted on 08 February 2010 by VRS
From Businessspectator.com.au: Global miners are set to report a sharp slide in half-year profits on lower iron ore contract prices, but earnings should rebound as long as Chinese demand holds up and the US recovers, bolstering metals prices. [more]
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Posted on 05 February 2010 by VRS
From Commodityonline.com: Investors’ confidence in U.S. markets and the economy has increased slightly, with 49% of investors polled expressing bullish sentiments about the markets, compared with 48% in January, 2010, according to the latest MoneyShow.com Investors’ Sentiment Indicator. The number of bearish investors has decreased to 32% from 34% since the last poll in January. [more]
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Posted on 05 February 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: Global miners are set to report a sharp slide in half-year profits on lower iron ore contract prices, but earnings should rebound as long as Chinese demand holds up and the U.S. recovers, bolstering metals prices. [more]
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Posted on 04 February 2010 by VRS
From Seekingalpha.com: With steel demand rising steadily, China has its eye on acquisitions for iron ore and copper in 2010 after a record $32B overseas takeover in 2009. [more]
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Posted on 04 February 2010 by VRS
From WSJ: Worries about China’s moves to rein in economic growth have sent copper futures reeling this year after prices more than doubled in 2009. [more]
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Posted on 04 February 2010 by VRS
From Marketoracle.co.uk: Copper, the metal with the Ph. D. in economics, has retreated some 12% over the last 4 weeks. Possible causes include: 1) slowing economic growth; 2) withdrawal of stimulus money worldwide especially in China; 3) supply demand imbalances; and 4) bubble dynamics that has seen excessive speculation in the metal. [more]
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Posted on 04 February 2010 by VRS
The worldwide adoption of aluminum in industrial and consumer applications is nearing a tipping point and may be about to surge, according to Philip Martens, president and chief operating officer of Novelis, a global leader in aluminum rolled products and aluminum can recycling. . [more]
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Posted on 03 February 2010 by VRS
From Amm.com: Steel demand from the construction sector is likely to maintain a slow pace in 2010, and demand from automotive, heavy equipment and other markets is returning but not to levels seen prior to the recession, according to members of the Association of Steel Distributors (ASD). [more]
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Posted on 03 February 2010 by VRS
From Commodityonline.com: The base metals came under further pressure on Friday, with only nickel managing to hang onto its morning gains. While concerns over Chinese bank lending were swirling in the background, the trigger for Friday afternoon’s weakness was the much stronger than expected US GDP growth, which saw the dollar, strengthen further. [more]
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Posted on 02 February 2010 by VRS
From Miningweekly.com: UK-based Barclays Capital is bullish on the copper outlook for 2010, expecting the commodity’s price to increase to $8 000/ton in the first half of the year. [more]
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Posted on 02 February 2010 by VRS
From Cnbc.com: Gold prices rose the most in four weeks on speculation that the rally in the dollar might be about to stall. Is it a good time to start looking into the precious metal? Ben Fulton, managing director at Invesco PowerShares, shared his insights. [more]
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Posted on 01 February 2010 by VRS
From Proactiveinvestors.com.au: 2010 is likely to be an interregnum period for global metal prices after the heights reached last year and indeed the strong performance throughout the first decade of the new millennium. [more]
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Posted on 01 February 2010 by VRS
From Seekingalpha.com: Looking at the CFTC data commercial traders have built massive short positions in Copper over the last few months and the commercial longs have buckled this year, which has lead the commercials to a significant net short position overall. [more]
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Posted on 29 January 2010 by VRS
From Theglobeandmail.com: You probably aren’t familiar with the element europium, but if you have a new plasma TV, the metal gives you the colour blue. Europium is one of 16 elements called rare earths that are needed to make components of many leading-edge products. [more]
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Posted on 29 January 2010 by VRS
From Financialpost.com: All hail the new king in the world of precious metals: platinum.After a year in which everyone seemed to be backing the truck up for gold, investors are turning their attention to platinum, an outperformer versus gold in 2009 that continues to offer better prospects for price appreciation. [more]
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Posted on 29 January 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: The platinum and palladium ETFs that were listed on the New York Stock Exchange on 8th January could almost be said to have taken the market by storm. A head of steam started to build up in the first week of January as the lead market maker, Susquehanna Capital, was reported to be in the market for metal; the holdings list duly shows that a short 10,000 ounces each of platinum and palladium were reported as being held in the vaults of the new funds by the launch date. [more]
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Posted on 29 January 2010 by VRS
From Theglobeandmail.com: Copper ended down for a third straight day on Thursday with London prices cracking below the $7,000 (U.S.) a tonne level for the first time since late December, as dollar-related pressures and concerns over Chinese monetary tightening fed further bouts of risk aversion. [more]
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Posted on 29 January 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: Diamonds may be forever, but the once-glamorous sector needs to rediscover its lost magic. Whatever happened to Bonaparte Diamonds, Nordic Diamonds, Cons Global Diamonds, Motapa Diamonds, and what seems to be happening to Archangel Diamonds, and what’s going down at Snowfield? [more]
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Posted on 28 January 2010 by VRS
From Commodityonline.com: Base metals are being whipped about in the wake of financial markets and, as we head into the Chinese New Year, we expect this to intensify. With financial market risk aversion rising, base metals might not be able to sustain a rally higher. [more]
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Posted on 28 January 2010 by VRS
From Etftrends.com: For months, investors have been looking to base metals exchange traded funds (ETFs) as a sign of where the global economy is heading. But renewed concerns about demand from China could have the funds sitting idle for the time being. [more]
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Posted on 28 January 2010 by VRS
From Bloomberg: Japan plans to revise legislation in order to help domestic companies acquire mining rights overseas and secure raw materials amid competition from neighboring China and South Korea. [more]
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Posted on 26 January 2010 by VRS
From Iii.co.uk: It proved to be a tumultuous seven days for commodities, as the mining sector extended its losses for a second week on the trot. The sector has shed 17% over the last fortnight, having hit a 17-month high just earlier this year. [more]
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Posted on 25 January 2010 by VRS
From Stuff.co.nz: World steel output fell by 8 per cent last year as the economic crisis pounded major producing countries, but emerging powers China and India bucked the trend, an industry group says. [more]
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Posted on 25 January 2010 by VRS
From Telegraph: Iron ore is one of the essential building blocks of the Chinese economic miracle. It is used to make steel, which is vital for the country’s infrastructure plans. If China can’t continue to build, its economy will grind to a halt - and bring a multitude of problems to the country. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From ABC News: Energy and metal contracts fell Thursday after reports on jobs and manufacturing renewed caution about the strength of the economy. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From Bloombergutv.com: Precious metal prices continued to shed glaze on Thursday, 21 January 2010. Prices fell as the dollar headed up strongly and the same rose to five month high against the euro. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From Telegraph: Last year proved to be a good one for hard commodities around the globe. Demand from emerging markets such as China held up better than expected in light of demand contraction in the West. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From Mining-journal.com: The mathematical modelling of metals prices is a useful tool for the mining and investment communities by helping to explain market performance. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From Bloomberg: Copper may decline in London next week on speculation that a strengthening dollar will curb demand for the metal. [more]
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Posted on 22 January 2010 by VRS
From Myiris.com: “Base metals may remain in red amid tumbling stock markets and monetary tightening by china,” said SMC Research. [more]
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Posted on 20 January 2010 by VRS
From Amm.com: Barclays Capital has increased its aluminum, copper, lead, tin and zinc forecasts for 2010 on a short-term positive outlook. [more]
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Posted on 20 January 2010 by VRS
From Commodityonline.com: There is an interesting thing happening in London Metal Exchange now. Even as the world is talking about gold always, the base metals are performing exceedingly well. [more]
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Posted on 20 January 2010 by VRS
From Forexyard.com: Copper rose on Tuesday, as the market focused on expectations of stronger Chinese demand over coming months, but a rising dollar and high inventories capped gains. [more]
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Posted on 19 January 2010 by VRS
From Bloomberg: Platinum climbed to a 17-month high on speculation investment and industrial demand will increase. Gold rose as the dollar weakened. [more]
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Posted on 19 January 2010 by VRS
From Investmentu.com: The latest annual survey data released from the London Bullion Market Association forecasts that platinum prices will range between $900 and $2,578 an ounce this year, with an average of $1550. If true, it lies very close to the current trading price of $1580, and would ensure a gain of 28.7% on the $1205 median for 2009. [more]
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Posted on 19 January 2010 by VRS
From Steelguru.com: The global aluminium market is heading for a big surplus this year as demand continues to be outpaced by supply. [more]
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Posted on 19 January 2010 by VRS
From People.com.cn: The Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) said nearly 5 billion tons of iron ore were found in China last year, and experts said the findings would put the country in a favorable position in international iron ore contract negotiations. [more]
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Posted on 19 January 2010 by VRS
From Marketwatch.com: It’ll be tough for metals to outdo the spectacular annual gains they saw in 2009, but a few have a shot and most are likely to continue to see prices climb this year. [more]
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Posted on 18 January 2010 by VRS
From Proactiveinvestors.com.au: A survey of analysts suggests that prices for precious metals will increase by 21% in 2010, led by a 40% increase in the cost of palladium to $370/troy ounce from $264 in 2009. Platinum is projected to increase to an average $1,442/oz, a 20% gain from $1,200 in 2009. [more]
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Posted on 15 January 2010 by VRS
From Businessinsider.com: Morgan Stanley has come out bullish on metals for 2010. Expect on average a 30%+ rally due to continued demand strength according to their latest 1Q10 Global Metals Playbook. They’re especially bullish on copper, platinum, and dry bulk commodities such as iron ore and coking coal. [more]
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Posted on 15 January 2010 by VRS
From Purchasing.com: Traders and speculators see active metals purchasing by China as a good economic gauge that justifies raising world commodity prices. But, lately, the country has been overbuying and building stockpiles. Maybe prices should be falling. [more]
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Posted on 15 January 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: The fallout from the financial crisis that afflicted the world economy has seen nickel prices fluctuate wildly. LME prices peaked at just over US$52,000/t in May 2007, on the back of strong demand and low stocks, but had fallen by over 80% by the end of 2008, as demand collapsed. [more]
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Posted on 15 January 2010 by VRS
From WSJ: Rio Tinto posted strong quarterly production figures Thursday, beating guidance for iron ore production and fueling expectations of a sharp increase in prices with bullish comments on Chinese demand. [more]
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Posted on 14 January 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: Measured over the past 12 months, rolling stock price returns from listed mining specialists have been dominated by broadly-defined copper stocks. There are two main reasons explaining this phenomenon, starting with the sharp decline in most commodity prices between mid-2007 and mid-2008. [more]
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Posted on 14 January 2010 by VRS
From Commodityonline.com: Base metal prices came under pressure on Tuesday and the mood in the complex was dampened by China’s latest measures to tighten monetary policy. This will curb lending and prevent overheating in some economic sectors. [more]
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Posted on 13 January 2010 by VRS
From Resourceinvestor.com: The fallout from the financial crisis that afflicted the world economy has seen nickel prices fluctuate wildly. [more]
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Posted on 13 January 2010 by VRS
From Bloomberg: Metal prices may average 32 percent higher this year because of strengthening industrial production, driven by growth in China, said Morgan Stanley. [more]
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Posted on 13 January 2010 by VRS
From Mineweb.com: A good number of recent headlines have dwelt on just how well prices for listed mining companies performed during 2009, but, at the same time, ignore the possibility that Rome wasn’t built in a day. [more]
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Posted on 13 January 2010 by VRS
From Forexyard.com: Copper and other metal prices pared initial losses on Wednesday after China surprised markets by raising bank reserve requirements and investors assessed whether current demand forecasts were priced in. [more]
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