East Asia

The prices of China's coal futures continued to decline on Monday. This was due to the prospect of a rising supply following the resumption of production in coal-rich Shanxi, as well as from increasing imports. The Dalian Commodity Exchange's (DCE) most traded coking coal contract closed the daytime trading 1.39% lower, at $188.20 per metric ton. This is approximately 14% lower than the 1,486.5 Yuan that was reached on June 8th, the highest level since Oct 2024. The most active DCE contract dropped 0.49%, to 2,015.5?yuan per ton. According to a survey conducted by the consultancy Mysteel, as of June...

Reliance Jio Platforms, owned by Indian billionaire MukeshAmbani, filed?regulatory documents for an IPO that would raise $3.8 billion. This is the largest-ever stock offer in India. The National Stock Exchange of India is preparing to launch another IPO, which will likely be worth $3.3 billion. The five biggest Indian IPOs so far: HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIANA In October 2024, Hyundai, India's largest passenger vehicle manufacturer and the third-largest carmaker in the world, raised $2.95 billion in India's largest-ever IPO. The South Korean parent company of the manufacturer sold a 17.5% share in a "pure offer for sale", where existing shareholders sold...

The National Stock Exchange of India filed draft papers to?along-delayed listing? that will be one of the two mega initial public offerings in India this year. Alongside billionaire Mukesh?Ambani's Reliance Jio. NSE's IPO will likely?be worth $3.3 billion based on a?pricing of its shares in the private market, and it comes?after...years of regulatory delay. As part of this issue, existing investors will sell 6% equity in the company. This will be an offer-for sale with no new equity raised. Ambani’s AI-to Telecoms arm Reliance Jio Platforms, is also preparing for an IPO that could be the largest ever in India....

China's official media Xinhua reported that a former chief executive of state-owned oil giant CNOOC Ltd. was sentenced to a death sentence for accepting bribes, but the sentence has been stayed for two years. Yuan Guangyu retired from CNOOC as CEO in September 2019, after reaching mandatory retirement age. He was also the former deputy general director of CNOOC’s parent company, China National Offshore Oil Corporation. According to Xinhua, Yuan's political rights were also revoked for life in the ruling of the Xuzhou Intermediate People's Court. The court found that Yuan accepted illegally, directly or indirectly, more than 152,000,000 yuan...

After the U.S. and Iran deal to end the Middle East conflict, spot premiums for crude oil in Asia are back to their pre-war level. However, caution over how soon normal shipping will resume is keeping the oil markets afloat. Prices fell across the board after U.S. president Donald Trump announced that a preliminary deal had been signed. Details have not yet been released, and the U.S. as well as Iran say that a permanent ceasefire is still being negotiated. Dubai's premium for swaps on Middle East crude returned to its pre-war level of $2.06 a barrel on Monday. This...

Saudi Arabian crude oil sales to China will likely remain at record lows this month as the high 'prices' in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli war on Iran continue to impact demand. Market participants closely monitor the allocations as a measure of Chinese demand. They indicate that refiners are reluctant to import barrels at high prices after run cuts, and because they have exhausted their domestic stocks. Saudi Aramco will ship 12 million barrels to China customers for July loading. This is about 387.096 barrels a day. Sources'requested anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak with the media....

Investors said that the turmoil on the world markets over the past week showed the economic outlook was now on a razor's edge. There were equal odds for an AI boom to boost growth, or oil shocks from the U.S. - Iran war to send stocks and bonds into a tailspin. The global equities market hit its highest point on June 3 and then experienced their worst day since October the next day. This week, they have been reversing direction constantly to match President Donald Trump's volatile remarks about Iran. Florian Ielpo, head of multi-asset and macro portfolio management at...

Global trade doesn't cool in the shadow of tariffs, wars on trade, real wars, and energy shocks. It's heating. How durable is it when the price, and not volume, is what's stoking up the flames? Recent trade data, from the U.S., China and other major economies, shows that cross-border commerce has grown at a faster rate than economists expected. In many cases the price increases were the primary cause of increased activity and surprising export figures. This reflects the spike in inflation caused by the Iran War, particularly on the oil and energy markets. This was especially true in the...

Investors said that the turmoil on the world markets over the past week showed the economic outlook was 'now on a razor edge. There are equal odds for an AI boom to lift growth, or for oil shocks resulting from the U.S. - Iran war to send stocks and bonds into a tailspin. Global equities reached an all-time high on June 3 and then suffered their worst day in October the next day. This week, they have spent a lot of time reversing direction constantly to match U.S. president Donald Trump's volatile remarks about Iran as well as rapidly changing...

Global trade is not cooling in the shadow of tariffs and trade wars. It's heating. How durable is it when the price and not the volume is what's stoking up the flames? Recent trade data from the U.S., China and other major economies show that cross border commerce is growing at a faster rate than economists expected. In many cases the "increased activity" and the "surprisingly strong headline export numbers" were primarily driven by "higher prices". These reflect the spike in inflation caused by the Iran War, particularly on the oil and energy markets. This was especially true in the...

These are the most popular?stories from the Wall Street Journal. These?stories have not been?verified' and we cannot?guarantee? their?accuracy. Israel and Iran traded missile strikes Monday, after the U.S. brokered a ceasefire in early April. This was their first direct attack since the truce went into effect. - Nvidia is ?teaming up with South Korea's SK Telecom and Naver ?to build gigawatt-scale artificial-intelligence cloud infrastructure in Asia. - Intesa Sanpaolo said ?it has launched a EUR30.66 billion ($35.33 ?billion) unsolicited cash-and-share ?takeover bid for Monte dei Paschi di Siena. Roche has announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement and...

Iran's ambassador in Moscow was quoted on Monday as saying that the Strait of Hormuz would be open, but with new?conditions set by Iran? and?Oman?, including a?transit fee. The U.S. and Israeli war?on Iran 'has largely reduced oil flows through the strait. Before the conflict, one-fifth the world's crude oil passed through the strait. Recently, several tankers left the Gulf. However, oil and LNG flows remain severely constrained. In an interview published Monday, Ambassador Kazem Jalali said that the strait would be opened, but new conditions would be set by the Iranians and Omanis. We understand that Iran, Oman and...

South Korea's KOSPI recovered sharply on Wednesday morning. It surged 4.1% in the first 30 minutes after nearly a 10% plunge just a day earlier. Retail?investors were rushing to buy a dip. KOSPI increased by more than 330 points, to 8,550.21, just moments after trading started at 0000 GMT. Market leader Samsung Electronics jumped more?than 9% and SK Hynix gained 5%. Seo 'Sang-young is a strategist with Mirae Asset Securities Co. He said that the rebound immediately recouped the double-digit losses of the previous session as retail investors filled the order books. Seo stated that "retail investors are a major...

The price of aluminum fell to its lowest level in nearly three months on Tuesday, as the United States granted Iran an?60-day sanction waiver following initial peace talks. This improved prospects for a resumed Gulf shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. By 0944 GMT the benchmark three-month aluminum on the London Metal Exchange had fallen 3.0% to $3,262.50 per metric ton after having hit $3,225.5 - its lowest level since March 26. Ole Hansen is the head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank. He said that "aluminum prices have been impacted by expectations?that Middle Eastern supplies may gradually improve following...

Copper prices fell on Tuesday amid fears of growth headwinds resulting from a Federal Reserve rate hike after yesterday's closely watched U.S. Iran talks. By 0300 GMT, the benchmark three-month copper price on?the London Metal Exchange?fell by 0.51%. It was now $13,580 per?metric?ton. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract was down by 0.61% to 104,060 Yuan ($15.353.97) per ton. Many banks have predicted that the Fed will raise interest rates in this year because of persistent inflation, and due to a hawkish attitude from new chair Kevin Warsh. Increased interest rates can dampen industrial metals' growth prospects by...

Iron ore prices continued to fall on Tuesday, hitting a near -four-month-low. This was due to expectations of rising shipments by major suppliers as we approach the end of the second quarter and a seasonally weakening steel demand. The most traded iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange fell 0.74% by 0300 GMT to 737 Yuan ($108.81), after reaching its lowest since February 24, 736 yuan. By 0250 GMT the benchmark 'July Iron Ore' on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 0.45% to $97.8 per ton. This was its lowest price since February 25. For a fourth consecutive session, the...

Prices of industrial metals rose on Monday due to optimism that the initial U.S. - Iran talks may pave a way for a peace deal. Benchmark copper on the London Metal Exchange traded 1.2% higher, at $13,760 per metric ton. The price of copper, which investors use as a measure of economic health, has increased by more than 15 percent since March 23. Mediators said that U.S. officials and Iranian officials had made "encouraging" progress in agreeing on a 60-day timeline to end the war. Toutefois, tensions?persisted?over Lebanon and the Strait of Hormuz?after Tehran once again closed the waterway?and?U.S. Donald...

Prices of industrial?metals rose on Monday as optimism grew that initial U.S.-Iran negotiations could pave the path for a deal ending the war. At 1039 GMT, the benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange was up 0.9% to $13,723 per metric ton. The price of copper, which investors use as a measure of economic health has risen by more than 15 percent since March 23. Mediators said that U.S. officials and Iranian officials had made "encouraging" progress in agreeing on a 60-day plan to end the 'war. But tensions remained over Lebanon and Strait of Hormuz, after Tehran again'shut...

Jozef Sikela, EU Commissioner for International Partnerships, said on Saturday that the European Union sees Brazil as a partner to help diversify Brazil's mineral supply. The deal, he says, will benefit Brazil's development goals. The Commissioner visited the Rare Earth Research & Processing Center of Australian Mining Company Viridis in Pocos de Caldas in the southeastern state Minas Gerais. This is one of the four priority projects chosen to accelerate the collaboration between EU and Brazil. Sikela stated that the European approach places emphasis on sustainable business practices and local rare earth processing. This is in line with Brazil's efforts...

Four?sources? with knowledge of the situation said that Cargill aims to sell its iron ore and trading business by late July?or early august, as it refocuses its operations on food and agriculture. According to Cargill, the Singapore-based company is a large one, with a trading volume of 60 to 70 millions metric tons of iron ore per year and up to 4 million tons steel. This makes it a target for companies that are looking to expand their physical trading. Sources say that the original deadline for the sale was late May, which is the end of Cargill’s financial year....

The London Metal Exchange saw a rise in copper?prices on Monday as the market digested the weekend's tense U.S. Iran?peace talks. Benchmark three-month Copper?on LME gained 0.71% to $13,692?a metric tonne by 0700 GMT. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract fell by 0.08%, to 104 890 yuan per ton ($15 476.21). After the peace talks between the U.S.A. and Iran, traders closely monitored the macroeconomic climate. David Wilson, BNP Paribas' head of metals strategy, stated that the market was just waiting and watching to see what would happen. Mediators confirmed that the first round of high level peace...

Guinea, a country in West Africa, is now the world's largest producer of bauxite - the raw material that ultimately becomes aluminium. It is now trying to use its newfound dominance in order to exert greater control over price and industry structure. Just as Indonesia did in nickel, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in cobalt. Three resource giants struggle to control mining sectors which have?grown too large too fast, flooding global markets and crashing the prices. Indonesia uses mining quotas. The Congo has export quotas. Guinea is considering a combination of the two to stop operators from exporting more...

China's futures for coking coal continued to fall on Monday. They were weighed down by the prospect of rising supplies amid a continued production resume after a fatal mine accident in coal rich Shanxi, and?growing imported coal. By 0330 GMT, the most traded coking coal contract at the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE), had fallen 1.93% to $187.32 per metric ton. The DCE's most actively traded coke contract dropped 0.74%, to 2,010.5 Yuan per ton. According to a survey conducted by Mysteel, as of June 17, 63% of the coal mines which had suspended production after the fatal mine disaster in...

The copper price fell on Friday for the second consecutive session, and is now heading towards a weekly loss. This was after 'peace talks' between Iran and the United States were postponed. The benchmark three-month 'copper price on the London Metal Exchange was 'down 0.7% to $13,594 per metric ton, in open outcry official activity. Switzerland announced that U.S. negotiations with Iranian negotiators to end the Middle East Conflict would not be taking place on Friday. Meanwhile, fighting erupted in Lebanon, increasing uncertainty over whether a lasting "truce" can be reached. Copper's four-day winning streak was aided by the prior...