The benchmark three-month aluminium price on the London Metal Exchange fell just short of the $2,000-per-tonne mark at the 5pm close on Wednesday November 18, ending the day at $1,998 per tonne, up by 1% from the previous day’s close.

The metals were looking robust this morning, Wednesday November 18, and for the most part are managing to drive higher despite concerns about the rapid spread of Covid-19 and some mixed economic data of late.

In the closing session of this year’s International Ferroalloys, which was held virtually November 9-11, Fleur Ritzema, global minors, ores and alloys editor at Fastmarkets, and Fastmarkets' analysts Amy Bennett and Robert Cartman summed up the key market drivers for the rest of 2020 and beyond.

Markets were generally buoyant on the back of relief that a potential Covid-19 vaccine has been found, but the metals also seem hesitant this morning, Tuesday October 11, about what this will mean to the markets given how much they have run up already since the March lows.

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly lower this morning, Tuesday November 10, while prices consolidated after Monday’s double dose of positive news - that of Joe Biden winning the US presidential election and Pfizer announcing progress toward a potential Covid-19 vaccine.

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly stronger this morning, Monday November 9, after markets reacted positively to Joe Biden winning the US presidential election and the resulting weaker dollar.

Deliverable stocks of base metals in Shanghai Futures Exchange-registered warehouses were little moved in the week to Friday November 6, with the biggest percentage change seen in lead at 6.5%.

Market participants in China are increasingly confident that Chinese authorities will revive steel scrap imports into the country in 2021 following the release of new domestic scrap classification standards.

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mainly stronger this morning, Tuesday November 3, after markets were encouraged by generally robust manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) data that came out on Monday.

Base metals prices on both the London Metal Exchange and Shanghai Futures Exchange were mixed this morning, Monday November 2, with the short-term outlook uncertain with much of Europe moving into tighter lockdowns, while China's new five-year plans look supportive, as does the economic data out of China and Japan this morning.