In line with the UK takeover regime’s "put up or shut up" rule, BHP, on May 29, opted for the latter and abandoned its goal of acquiring Anglo American – at least, for now.

Norway-based aluminium producer Hydro has several plans for decreasing its carbon footprint, new chief executive officer Eivind Kallevik told Fastmarkets on Tuesday May 28.

Prices of gold and silver have surged so far in 2024, leading to more popularity for copper, zinc and lead concentrate containing higher levels of these precious metal to profit from the rising value of the byproduct, Fastmarkets has learned.

Record-high prices for refined copper metal and a shortage of copper concentrates have caught the attention of investors. Bringing new, large-scale supply to the market is not simple or quick, but brownfield expansions and scrap supply may offer a quicker response

The base metals complex has been on a climb on futures exchanges globally but the surge is not reflected in physical markets, with buyers generally staying out of the market due to elevated prices, sources told Fastmarkets

Sources from across the copper concentrate industry told Fastmarkets that some miners are becoming more cautious of their counterparty risk – the risk that the other party in a transaction may not fulfill its part of the deal – with copper concentrate terms being agreed as far out as 2028.

Supply disruption and financial speculation helped most base metals prices hit 2024 highs in the week to Friday May 24, yet demand remains mostly muted

The three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange has slumped significantly since hitting an all-time high of $11,104.50 per tonne on Monday May 20

Copper fabricators in China and the wider Southeast Asian region continue to feel the pain of high copper prices on futures exchanges and a lack of new orderbooks, with some having already asked for a postponing of shipments of long-term copper cathodes, sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Wednesday, May 15.

Could the copper market bullish marathon be taking a mini break? Fastmarkets senior analyst Andy Farida looks at London Metal Exchange copper price movements.