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Two dead in Palestinian attack in Israel, Israeli authorities say
Israeli emergency services reported that a Palestinian attacker ran over a man, stabbed a woman in the neck and killed both of them on Friday. Israeli police released a statement saying that the assailant was wounded and shot by a civilian on the spot. He was then taken to hospital. The police added, "This was a?rolling?terrorist attack." Israeli Defence Minister 'Israel Katz' said that he had ordered the military to respond with force in the West Bank city of Qabaitya where the attacker allegedly hailed from to prevent any further attacks. The Israeli military has said that it is "preparing an operation" for the area. The Israeli ambulance service reported that the woman and man were both pronounced dead on the scene, after medics failed to revive them. (Reporting and editing by Alexandra Hudson, Hugh Lawson and Maayan Libell)
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Silver trading, from shares and coins to bars and stocks
Silver has surpassed $75 per ounce for first time, fueled by strong industrial demand and investment, persistent shortages of supply, recent designation as an U.S. "critical mineral", and a wave momentum-driven purchasing. Spot silver is up over 150% in the past year, outpacing gold by more than 70%. How does silver trade? Over?THE Counter London is the largest marketplace for physical gold and silver, where banks and brokers take orders from customers around the globe to buy and sell. The trading is done over the counter bilaterally between financial institutions. An investor must be in a relationship to one of them to gain access to the market. Bars of bullion are stored in vaults at large banks like JPMorgan and HSBC. London vaults will hold 27,187 tons of silver by the end of 2025. Tons of silver. Futures Silver is also traded on futures markets. Shanghai Futures Exchange and CME Group COMEX are the two largest exchanges. Futures contracts are agreements where the seller promises to deliver silver at a future date. They are usually traded via a broker. The majority of futures are swapped for later-dated contracts. Both the buyer and the seller can speculate on the price of silver without having to move and store metal. Futures also offer the advantage that you don't have to pay the entire amount of silver. Instead, you only need to pay a fraction, called a margin. ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) ETFs are traded on stock exchanges like the NYSE and LSE along with shares of publicly traded companies. Each share of the fund represents a certain amount of silver in a vault. Robinhood, for example, allows small investors to trade ETFs with ease. Silver is added to the vault when the demand for an ETF exceeds the price of the underlying metal. This allows new shares to become available, bringing the prices back in line. The iShares Silver Trust, managed by BlackRock, contains?around 530 million ounces silver, worth $39 billion today. BARS AND COINS Silver bars and coins are also available to smaller investors from retailers all over the world. SILVER MINERS Investors can buy shares of companies that mine for silver. These are also easily traded on platforms such as Robinhood. The value of these shares is affected by many factors, including the management, debt, and performance of the companies. Reporting by Anmol Chaubey from Bengaluru
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LG Energy Solution cancels battery order worth 3.9 trillion won with Freudenberg
In a Friday regulatory filing, LG Energy Solution, a South Korean battery manufacturer (LGES), announced that it had canceled a contract worth 3.9 trillion won ($2.7 billion). LG Energy Solution announced that it had mutually agreed to terminate its contract with Freudenberg Battery Power Systems after Freudenberg scrapped its plans for its battery business. This announcement comes just a week after Ford Motor terminated a battery supply deal worth 9.6 trillion won. Ford announced that it would "take a $19.5-billion write-down" and scrap several electric vehicle models. This is a dramatic example how the auto industry has retreated from battery-powered vehicles in response to Trump's administration policies and the weakening demand for EVs. Ford alone will cause LGES to lose more than half its revenue of 25.62 trillion won last year, or 13.5 trillion won, in just 10 days. LGES announced on Wednesday that it is selling a factory and assets in Ohio, U.S. to Honda Development and Manufacturing of America. The sale will improve the joint venture's operational efficiency.
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Sources say that Russia has almost doubled its LPG exports this year to Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Industry sources have told? Industry sources told?Einen on Friday that Russia had almost doubled its exports of liquefied petroleum gas to ex-Soviet republics in Central Asia and Afghanistan from January to November. The total was 1.016 million metric tons. Moscow had to divert LPG supplies from Europe. Europe imposed restrictions on LPG imports from Russia after the war in Ukraine. LPG is used primarily as a fuel for cars and heating, but also to produce other petrochemicals. According to traders, the total LPG exports of Russia to Afghanistan and other countries in Central Asia, including Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, will increase to 36% by 2024, from 19%. Afghanistan is Russia's biggest buyer of LPG in that region. In July, Russia recognized the Afghan Taliban government for the first time by accepting the credentials of the new ambassador. Sources claim that the supply of Russian LPG into the country has risen 1.5 times in the first eleven months of this year, to 418 tons. This includes the joint venture between Kazrosgaz and Kazakhstan. The traders said that the increase in Russia's LPG supply to Afghanistan was partly due to the decline of Iranian LPG, which is sanctioned by the United States. (Reporting and Editing by Saad sayeed)
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Shanghai copper reaches record highs on signs of tight supply
Shanghai copper reached a record-high on Friday on signs that the 'feedstock supply' will be tighter next year and China's plans to curb irrational expansion of copper projects. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most active copper contract closed the daytime session up 3.6%, at 98720 yuan (US$14,083.34) per metric ton. It had earlier reached an all-time record of 99,730 dollars a ton. The contract stipulated a gain of 6% per week. The London benchmark reached a high of $12,282 Wednesday. China's top economist said that the country will tighten up its oversight of new copper projects and alumina to stop irrational investments and unplanned expansion between 2026 and 2030. Sources said that top Chinese copper smelters did not set guidance on copper concentrate processing charges for the first quarter 2026. The group has refused to set guidance for the first quarter of 2026 for the fourth consecutive time due to feedstock shortages. Investors expect two more U.S. rate cuts in 2012, leading to continued weakness of the U.S. Dollar, which is hovering near its two-month lows. Dollar-priced materials become more appealing to holders of currencies other than the dollar when the dollar is weaker. Aluminium and lead were the two most significant gains among?SHFE's base metals. Two sources said that the top aluminium producers have raised their premiums to Japanese buyers from $190 to $203 per metric ton to $210 to 225. Japan is Asia's largest importer of light metals, and the premiums it agrees to each quarter above the London Metal Exchange cash price sets the benchmark for the area. Zinc increased by 0.7% while nickel grew by 1.3%. Tin increased by 1.4%.
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ASIA GOLD-Record gold price rally in India cools Indian purchasing; China discounts are narrowed
This week, gold discounts in India reached their highest level in over six months as a relentless price rise curbed retail purchases. Meanwhile,?discounts? in China shrank sharply after reaching five-year highs last week. A jeweller in Kolkata, eastern India said: "People are in festive moods and are travelling so they're not interested in buying at these record high prices." On Friday, domestic gold prices reached a new record of 139.286 rupees (1,550.34 dollars) per 10 grams, after a rise in spot gold rates internationally. Spot gold reached a new high of $4.530.60 an ounce due to speculative buying and momentum-driven purchases, as well expectations of further U.S. interest rate cuts and increasing geopolitical tensions. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount Discounts of up to $60 per ounce, including 6% import duties and 3% sales taxes, are available compared to last week's discount of up to $37. The slowdown in the demand is intensifying as prices continue to increase. The demand is likely to be muted in the next few weeks, unless prices are significantly corrected. This was stated by a Mumbai bullion dealer at a private bank. Bullion traded in China at a discount of $15 to $30 per ounce compared to the global benchmark price The discount is down sharply from the last week, when it was up to $64, which was the biggest in over five years. Chinese discounts reached a record-high?of $87.50 by August 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on retail demand. Bernard Sin, Regional Director- Greater China at MKS PAMP, stated that despite a muted retail market, discounts narrowed as speculative purchases increased at record high prices amid expectations of U.S. interest rate cuts. He said that a firmer yuan was also supportive. In Singapore Gold was sold at a premium ranging between $0.50 and $3.50 per ounce. The major purchases are made on silver and not gold. "As usual, when we see gold's rise, then buy orders will come in because of 'FOMO,'" said Vergel Villesoto at Silver Bullion. In Hong Kong, gold In Japan, gold bullion is traded at a premium of $2 to par. Was sold at a discount between $6.0 and a premium of $0.5 over spot prices.
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Nornickel CEO believes that 2026 will be a profitable year for Russia
Vladimir Potanin, the CEO of Nornickel in Russia, said that he believes the conditions will be right 'in 2026' to resume dividend payments. Nornickel didn't pay dividends in 2022, 2023 or 2024 due to Western sanctions and the falling price of its main metals. It paid its last interim dividend in 2023. In recent years, Russia's metals producers have been among the worst performing stocks on the Russian stock exchange. Potanin said that the company is moving towards a positive cashflow, and will begin paying dividends in the near future, although not at the same level as before. Potanin said, "We are already planning for a positive flow of financial resources in 2026 with the goal to pay dividends." Potanin is Russia's 5th richest?businessman according to Forbes. He did not say when Nornickel might resume dividend payments. Nornickel uses free cash flow to guide dividend payments after a shareholder agreement that protected payouts expired in?2022. Nornickel, while not directly subject to sanctions, was impacted by Western measures that prompted foreign producers to refrain from buying Russian metal. They also complicated payments and limited access to Western equipment. This led the company to redirect its sales to Asia. (Written by Anastasia Teterevleva, Gleb Bryanski and edited by Christian Schmollinger & Thomas Derpinghaus).
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Due to lower demand and stockpiles, iron ore prices end the week lower.
Iron ore futures rose on Friday after China announced it would continue its export licensing plan, but they 'ended the week lower due to a rise in inventories and a decrease in demand. The most-traded contract for May iron ore on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE) rose 0.71% to 783 yuan ($111.74) per metric ton. The contract was 0.06% less than the previous week. As of 0711 GMT, the benchmark January iron ore price on the Singapore Exchange dropped 0.62% to $1004.7 per ton. China announced on Friday that from 2026 until 2030, it will continue to regulate the production of?crude iron and steel and prevent any illegal additions to capacity. The move comes after Japan Iron and Steel Federation chairman Tadashi imai stated on Thursday that the licensing scheme would not be a very effective measure to address these issues. Japan, which is the world's second-largest steel exporter, has criticised Chinese firms that receive government subsidies, which encourage overproduction and low priced exports. This worsens global market conditions. Since mid-2021, China's property markets, which were once the world's largest steel consumers, have been in a constant decline, with falling home prices and shrinking sales. On December 12, the country announced?a licensing system aimed at regulating exports of iron and steel to stabilize prices. SteelHome data shows that total iron ore stocks?across Chinese port cities increased 2.26% in a week to 148.8 millions tons as of December 26. Mysteel, a consultancy, reported that inventories of five major carbon steel products held in Chinese steel?mills had declined to 14.5 millions tonnes by December 25. This is the lowest level since late January. Coking coal and coke, which are used to make steel, also fell in price, by 1.02% and 1.22% respectively. The Shanghai Futures Exchange saw a decline in most steel benchmarks. The rebar fell by 0.42%. Hot-rolled coils dropped 0.06%. Stainless steel remained the same. Wire rod dropped 1.29%. $1 = 7.0072 Chinese yuan (Reporting and editing by Sonia Cheema, Ronojoy Mazumdar).
Shanghai frenzy fuels alumina's record-breaking rally: Andy Home
Alumina rates have actually soared to record highs this week, compressing margins at the world's. aluminium smelters which transform the intermediate product into. metal.
The London Metal Exchange (LME) cash rate, indexed. to Platts benchmark Australian alumina evaluation, closed. Wednesday at $633.35 per metric load, raising the ratio to the. aluminium rate to practically 25%.
The alumina-aluminium ratio was just 15% at the start of. 2024, when alumina was priced at $350 per heap.
A series of supply interruptions have actually driven the alumina price. higher this year. The trigger for the current price dive was news. of export issues in Guinea, the major import source of bauxite. for China's alumina refineries.
The physical alumina market is undoubtedly tight however the. explosive nature of the cost action also signifies a speculative. craze on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (ShFE).
SHANGHAI BOOM
Nearly 25 million lots were negotiated on the ShFE alumina. contract on Wednesday, a record daily high and comparable to. nearly a fifth of global annual production.
Open interest has actually likewise skyrocketed to life-of-contract highs as. investors have actually bought into a steadily rising market.
The exchange changed both trading limits and margins on. Thursday, enforcing a percentage point premium on speculative. positions relative to commercial hedge positions.
This is standard operating procedure for China's exchanges. in the face of speculative rises such as that currently washing. into the Shanghai alumina market.
This sort of futures rate volatility is a brand-new phenomenon. for the alumina market.
Both the LME and its U.S. peer CME Group deal alumina. agreements but neither is liquid. The explosive growth in the. Shanghai contract, by contrast, has changed the vibrant between. paper and physical markets given that trading began in June last. year.
This is the 2nd bout of turbulence on the Shanghai market. after an enormous price spike in January, also due to issues. about Guinean bauxite supply.
ALL EYES ON GUINEA
The rate level of sensitivity to occasions in Guinea highlights how. reliant China's alumina refineries have actually become on West African. bauxite.
China's bauxite mining sector has been struck by multiple waves. of ecological evaluations, limiting domestic supply and. encouraging more alumina refineries to look overseas for their. basic material.
Imports of Indonesian bauxite stopped early 2023 after the. Indonesian federal government banned exports in a drive to force its. miners downstream into refining and smelting.
Guinea has actually fast emerged as China's primary bauxite supplier. Imports doubled in between 2000 and 2023 to almost 100 million lots. and were up by another 13% in the very first 8 months of this. year.
The January alumina panic was down to an explosion at an oil. terminal in the Guinean port of Conakry. This time around it's. news that a regional subsidiary of Emirates Global Aluminium has. had its bauxite exports suspended by customizeds.
Although hugely exaggerated, the cost reaction in Shanghai. is sensible, offered the absence of alternative bauxite supply and. tighter conditions in the alumina market itself.
SUPPLY STRIKES
Alumina supply has actually taken several hits this year.
U.S. producer Alcoa revealed in January the. long-term closure of its Kwinana refinery in Australia. The. ramp-down was set up to be completed by the 3rd quarter.
In May Rio Tinto stated force majeure on. shipments from its refineries in Queensland due to limited. gas capability levels.
Century Aluminum's operations in Jamaica were. quickly interrupted by Hurricane Beryl in September and South32. has actually flagged concerns about its Australian operations. due to conditions on its operating licence required by. ecological regulators.
On the other hand, Chinese demand for alumina has been growing. strongly as the nation's smelters have benefited from enhanced. power supply, particularly in the hydro-rich province of Yunnan.
National aluminium output rose by 4.4% year-on-year in the. initially eight months of 2024 with annualised run-rates increasing. by practically 1.5 million heaps because December.
That said, China at a national level does not seem to be. physically short of alumina given that it continues to export. considerable amounts to Russia.
Undoubtedly, exports to Russia surged by 41% year-on-year to 1.0. million tons in January-April, turning China from net importer. to net exporter of the intermediate product.
FUTURE( S) INTERRUPTION
But physical availability is not the like exchange. schedule.
ShFE alumina stocks have come by more than half considering that. June to 103,416 lots. The outcome is time-spread tightness with. the premium for cash relative to forward agreements flaring wider. today.
Short-position holders' ability to deliver physical material. will depend upon how much alumina is located at ShFE's 4. delivery points in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Gansu and. Xinjiang.
Much also holds on how major the hazard of disruption to. Guinean bauxite shipments is. The January scare rapidly decreased. and there's no sign the most recent occurrence is the harbinger. of a national modification of policy around exports.
What has changed, however, is the reaction time to such. events.
Before the arrival of the Shanghai futures agreement, spot. alumina was priced by physical cargo deals, which can be. rare in a market dominated by yearly supply. contracts.
Now a heading from Guinea can move the futures price in. seconds, producing a disconnect between paper and physical. markets.
This added volatility is going to make the formerly. peaceful alumina market a much more rough location.
It's likewise going to make smelter costs a lot more. unpredictable with a potential knock-on effect on the cost of. aluminium itself.
(source: Reuters)