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    • ***COMMENT: Copper flash crash and the rumour mill
      In MB’s latest poll on future copper prices, 55% of respondents forecast that three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange will be above $8,000 per tonne by the end of this month. But even as traders on the LME talked of the upward momentum in base metals, copper prices have plunged twice in recent days. Prices fell sharply on Tuesday and again on Thursday, when moves on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were so sharp and sudden that they took traders in Asia aback. To them, for a short time, it looked like the flash crash that galvanized US equity dealers earlier this year.
      September 10, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***LORD COPPER: Siding with Norilsk in nickel spats
      There’s an entertaining spat going on between two of Russia’s premier resource companies: Norilsk Nickel and United Co Rusal
      September 7, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***MB SPECIAL REPORT: SSI & TCP — a good combination?
      The British press like a cause to get behind. Corus’ planned sale of Teesside Cast products (TCP) to Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI) has provided a good rallying point.
      September 6, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***OBITUARY: John Dulley
      John Dulley, an introducing broker at Sucden Financial, died suddenly on August 31 at the age of 69
      September 2, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***SPOTLIGHT: M&A Meltdown — Severstal NA sale plans stumble
      US steelmaking equities ebbed and flowed last week when strange M&A rumours ruffled market feathers. Most were around Severstal’s planned sale of some of its North American assets. Russia’s largest steelmaker is looking to part company with the Wheeling, Warren and Sparrows Point works. Preferably as a package. But the company’s sales strategy isn’t quite going to plan — its Friday deadline for bids seemed certain to pass uneventfully as MB went to press. “My guess is that they are not going to find anyone who wants them as a package deal,” a source with knowledge of the situation told MB sister publication AMM. “They got exactly zero bids to run them as a package.” News of Severstal’s plans to sell these assets has caused plenty of speculation.
      August 23, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • Hebei Steel Group raises August wire, rebar prices
      Hebei Iron & Steel, China's second-biggest steelmaker by 2009 output, will raise long product prices immediately to catch up with rising spot market prices.
      August 10, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***SPOTLIGHT: Handle with care
      Quarterly iron ore prices have been on European steelmakers’ minds for a while. Germany’s ThyssenKrupp is the first producer to reveal its planned response. Unveiled last week, it didn’t come as much of a surprise. ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe will introduce a raw materials surcharge on its annual steel contracts. The charge will be calculated using an as yet unspecified index or indices, and will supplement base prices that are negotiated once a year.
      August 9, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***SPOTLIGHT: Beijing’s blacklist — getting tough on overcapacity?
      China has taken what appears to be a harder line in its drive to force older smelters and furnaces out of the market: blacklisting, and sanctions.
      August 9, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***MB SPECIAL REPORT: Battle Royale
      The battle for control of Ukraine’s steel exports is heating up. Last week, Lugano-based ISD Trade and Industrial Union of Donbass (ISD) sent letters to the mills' customers, directing them to contact Duferco International Trade Holdings (DITH) to place new orders for material from ISD. Sources close to the situation told MB that ISD Trade would no longer handle export sales from ISD, and that Duferco was the exclusive sales agent for the plant. “The ISD Trade model is dead,” one source told MB. “Letters are going out to customers.”
      August 3, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
    • ***CASE NOTES: Midland’s deal with Luxe breaks down, unidentified investor buys Zap
      Justice Roth’s deliberation on July 23 means there is strong possibility that Midland Group’s decision to negotiate a higher price with a second buyer for Zaporizhstal won’t pay off
      July 28, 2010
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      By Generic people page
      Insights
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    Metals
    MORNING VIEW: Markets focused on coronavirus developments, less so on impact to supply chains

    Equity markets remain buoyant in Asia, but pre-market western equity indices have started to weaken, while metals are mixed this morning, Thursday February 20.

    February 20, 2020
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    By: Generic people page
    FOCUS: China opens steel export floodgates amid virus woes

    Chinese steelmakers are rushing to export their products due to stagnant domestic demand caused by downstream industries struggling to return to work amid the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China.

    February 20, 2020
     · 
    By: Generic people page
    Coronavirus outbreak keeping China’s stainless steel market subdued

    China’s stainless steel market saw some activity over the past week following several weeks of stagnation as a result of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in the country.

    February 20, 2020
     · 
    By: Generic people page
    Metals
    LIVE FUTURES REPORT 20/02: Firm dollar pressures SHFE base metals prices

    With the exception of tin that was little changed, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down at the close of morning trading on Thursday February 20, with the complex coming under pressure from a strengthening dollar index.

    February 20, 2020
     · 
    By: Hui Li
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