At present, Metal Bulletin’s minimum lot size for its in-warehouse Rotterdam indium price assessment is 50kg.
Certain market participants have expressed concerns that pricing data points relating to small lots are neither representative of typical market practice nor mainstream, repeatable spot prices. As such, they have suggested an increase in the minimum tonnages of some of our minor metals assessments.
In light of these initial market comments, Metal Bulletin has conducted an internal analysis based on the market data collected over the last two years.
The below graph shows the relation between deals’ tonnages and their prices.
Each black dot is a collected transaction or non-transaction information in the last two years.
The vertical lines are the minimum tonnages as stated in the Metal Bulletin methodology (orange line) and a suggested new minimum tonnage (red line).
The blue line is the best fitted line of the black dots, showing the best estimated relation between weight (kg) and price ($).
The above graph shows that small deals tend to have higher prices and a higher minimum tonnage than currently stated could reduce the potential impact that these can have on the published price.
Following the result of the internal analysis and initial market comments, Metal Bulletin is proposing to raise its minimum tonnage for in-warehouse Rotterdam indium deal size to 100kg and invites opinions from market participants on the lot size that best reflects the dynamics of the indium market.
The current specifications are as follows:
Description: Indium 99.99% Rotterdam $/kg
Type: Assessed range
Basis: Rotterdam
Currency: USD
Unit: kg
Min lot size: 50 kg
Payment terms: Cash, other payment terms normalized
Quality: In: 99.99%, no other elements specified
Form: Ingots, usually between 0.5kg and 3.5kg; also 10kg ingots
Publication: Twice-weekly. Wednesday and Friday between 2pm and 3pm London time
Packaging: Original producers’ wooden cases
Delivery timeframe: Prompt release
Notes: Metal Bulletin’s indium prices are produced in line with the specifications published by the Minor Metals Trade Association
The consultation will end one month from the date of this pricing notice, on Thursday October 4. Subject to market feedback, changes will take place from Friday October 5.
There will be no changes to the publishing time and dates of the proposed assessment.
To provide feedback on this price or if you would like to provide price information by becoming a data submitter to this price, contact Ewa Manthey by email at: pricing@metalbulletin.com. Please add the subject heading “FAO: Ewa Manthey, RE: Min lot size for in-warehouse Rotterdam indium price”.
Click here to see all of Metal Bulletin’s pricing methodology and specification documents.
