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.

With the exception of lead, base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were down during Asian morning trading on Tuesday September 4, with rising trade tensions and disappointing economic data from China dampening market sentiment.

Metal Bulletin brings the metal market its Analyst Price Expectations — or Apex for short. MB had three questions as it created Apex. Where will base metal prices be trading in the future? Which bank, brokerage or research company’s published price expectations have been most accurate previously? And finally was it possible to create a forecast based on the collective intelligence of the market, but weigh it towards those with the most accurate forecasts previously?

Fastmarkets will cease the daily publication of its physical arbitrage for imports of copper, aluminium, zinc and nickel into China from April 1, 2019. The data will still appear in Fastmarkets’ price book on a daily basis as usual, however.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were broadly down during Asian morning trading on Monday September 17, with the complex pressured by weak Chinese macroeconomic data and trade war concerns.

Base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part stronger on the morning of Tuesday May 8, with all the metals, except tin (-0.7%), up by an average of 0.7%. Zinc led the advance with a 1% gain and copper was up by 0.2% at $6,858 per tonne.

Base metals prices on the Shanghai Futures Exchange were up across the board during Asian morning trading on Monday February 18, with market sentiment boosted by positive trade developments and data releases at the end of last week.

Teck Resources expects to remove partial force majeure on its germanium output after the fourth-quarter restart of one of the fuming furnaces at its zinc and lead smelting and refining complex, Trail Operations.

Fastmarkets MB has today discontinued 40 steel scrap, non-ferrous scrap and foundry ingot prices.

Three-month base metals prices on the London Metal Exchange were for the most part weaker during morning trading on Thursday October 4.