POLL: Indium stocks on Fanya most likely to stay level or fall in 2015, market says

In 2014, indium stocks on the Fanya Metal Exchange rose by more than 1,500 tonnes. But this year stocks are expected to either remain stable or fall, according to a recent online poll.

In 2014, indium stocks on the Fanya Metal Exchange rose by more than 1,500 tonnes. But this year stocks are expected to either remain stable or fall, according to a recent online poll.

With the Fanya exchange staying the most influential driver of indium prices last year, the announcement at the end of December that it was reviewing its policy and undergoing an official probe, has left many watching to see how this will affect investor demand and trading on the exchange in 2015.

Already this has led to a slowdown of indium stockpiling on the exchange, which has pushed prices down and driven Chinese producers to seek buyers overseas, almost three years after the country became a net importer.

So Metal Bulletin asked readers what they thought would happen to indium stocks on the exchange this year.

Some 63% of readers said that they expected stocks to either fall or keep level this year, with 41% expecting stocks to remain more or less the same, 12% saying stocks would fall by up to 1,000 tonnes and 10% predicting stocks would fall by more than 1,000 tonnes.

However, 36% anticipated that stocks would rise, with 24% saying they would rise by up to 1,000 tonnes.

But only a small percentage of respondents thought indium stocks would rise at the same rate as in 2014, with 12% predicting stocks would rise by more than 1,000 tonnes.

Indium stocks on the Fanya exchange now stand at 3,481 tonnes, equivalent to almost five years’ worth of world primary refined metal production.

See also:
SPOTLIGHT: Fanya sales drive minor metals business in China 
Trade log January 2015: Minor metals

Chloe Smith 
chloe.smith@metalbulletin.com
Twitter: ChloeSmith_MB