ASIAN MORNING BRIEF 07/12: LME base metals pressured downward by slide in equities, oil; Vale to buy Brazil’s Ferrous Resources; Comex copper price retreats

The latest news and price moves to start the Asian day on Friday December 7.

Base metal prices on the London Metal Exchange were collectively lower at the close of trading on Thursday December 6, with downward pressure emerging across global equity indices in addition to a sharp downturn in oil futures, which trickled through to metals. Read more in our live futures.

Here are how prices looked at the close of trading:

Vale will buy Brazil’s privately owned Ferrous Resources Ltd as part of its “bolt-on acquisitions” strategy, the world’s largest iron ore producer said.

Comex copper prices sank to a multi-week low in the United States, with the recent equity market downturn suppressing the entire base metals group.

The European hot-rolled coil market has been under pressure due to slow trading, and prices are likely to reach “bottom” soon, sources told Fastmarkets.

The European ferro-molybdenum market climbed by almost 2.5% in trading by the midweek pricing session, tracking a previous increase in the oxide market. Alloy prices are now back to a level last seen on September 14.

In Egypt, no decision on new duties has left steel billet import and domestic rebar prices stable over the past week amid poor demand.

The Turkish deep-sea scrap import market was quiet on Thursday, with mills watching the market’s direction following a sharp price drop the day before.

What to read next
After a consultation, Fastmarkets is increasing the publication frequency of its non-exchange-deliverable equivalent-grade (EQ) copper cathode premium, CIF Shanghai, from once a week to twice a week.
New plans to introduce block trades for bilaterally negotiated transactions on the London Metal Exchange are aimed at enhancing liquidity and transparency without harming the exchange’s core physical user base, chief executive officer Matthew Chamberlain told Fastmarkets.
The London Metal Exchange has unveiled a series of proposals which, if successful, could accomplish what it failed to achieve close to a decade ago: bringing the investment community into the fold.
The primary aluminium premium for duty-unpaid units in Rotterdam edged higher in the week to Tuesday September 3, while the wider European market found continued support from high replacement costs and tight nearby inventories despite slow consumer demand.
Market participants are converging on Bali in Indonesia for the Fastmarkets International Critical Minerals & Metals Summit (ICMMS) on September 5 and 6, so ahead of the event, we capture the main themes facing the global nickel market.
Fastmarkets has amended the MB-NI-0256 nickel low-carbon briquette premium, cif global to include all shapes of exchange deliverable Class 1 nickel metal.