EUROPEAN MORNING BRIEF 02/02: SHFE nickel prices strengthen; Goldman raises copper price projection; copper concs TC/RCs dive

Good morning from Metal Bulletin’s offices in Shanghai as we bring you the latest news and pricing stories on Friday February 2.

Nickel prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were the standout performers during Asian morning trading on Friday, benefiting from follow-through strength after a strong performance by the metal on the London Metal Exchange in the previous session as well as supply concerns in the market.

Check Metal Bulletin’s live futures report here.

LME snapshot at 02.00 am London time
Latest three-month LME Prices
Price ($ per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close ($)
Copper 7,119 0
Aluminium 2,225 0
Lead 2,671 6
Zinc 3,542 -15
Tin 21,500 100
Nickel 13,920 -80

SHFE snapshot at 10.00 am Shanghai time
Most-traded SHFE contracts
Price (yuan per tonne)  Change since yesterday’s close (yuan)
Copper (March) 53,040 60
Aluminium(March) 14,365 30
Zinc(March) 26,750 80
Lead(March) 19,685 115
Tin (May) 148,920 -350
Nickel (May) 105,060 2,970

Investment bank Goldman Sachs raised projections for the price of copper in 2018 from $7,050 per tonne to $8,000 per tonne, with a growing gap expected between supply and demand.

Treatment and refining charges (TC/RCs) for spot market copper concentrates dropped significantly during the second half of January, with smelters coming to the market for tonnages below benchmark rates and mine sales going at aggressive numbers.

Novelis has touted the earnings results for its fiscal third quarter 2018 as a solid baseline for considering future growth options, top executives said during a conference call on Thursday.

The aluminium market in the United States is in the crosshairs of outside political pressure and a natural deficit in primary supply, and is seeking a source of clarity and transparency with its premium assessments, American Metal Market has learned.

Aggressive overseas demand is putting the heat on brass ingot makers in the US and has propelled some brass scrap prices to a nearly three-and-a-half-year high.

Slowing spot demand caught up with the molybdic oxide and ferro-molybdenum markets this week, with prices dropping after suppliers cut their offer prices to book profits following a strong rally in recent weeks.

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