The ever-higher prices reached by gold are turning Dubai’s traditional bazaar into more of a window-shopping experience. Purchases are plummeting at the Gold Souk, according to salespeople at numerous shops, as bullion goes on a record run that’s now approaching $2,200 an ounce. Most locals are just browsing, leaving the majority of buying to tourists […]
Battery Metals
Copper fees plunge close to zero in test for China’s smelters
China’s copper smelters are at a critical juncture after fees for processing imported ore collapsed to single figures, raising focus on whether they will keep resisting pressure for production cuts. A steep decline in so-called treatment and refining charges has accelerated in March, with copper concentrate trading at levels more than 90% lower in the […]
Gold price closes in on $2,200/oz after US jobs data
Gold extended its rally to a new record high and is now closing in on the $2,200/ounce level after a key US jobs report bolstered expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon cut interest rates. Spot gold climbed as much as 1.3% to $2,187.30 per ounce by 12:15 p.m. ET, rising for an eighth straight […]
Zinc price rallies as traders unwind bearish bets on better outlook
Zinc extended gains to a five-week high as investors unwind big bearish bets, with signs of tighter supplies and buoyant commodities demand in China brightening the outlook for the metal. Prices rose as much as 1.8% to $2,540 a ton, continuing a rebound that brokers say has been driven by investors closing short positions on […]
Goldman Sachs: Price Rout in Key Battery Metals Isn’t Over
Sizeable surpluses in the lithium, cobalt, and nickel markets have led to a plunge in the prices of key battery metals over the past year and a half. The price rout is far from over, according to Goldman Sachs. Prices still have room to drop, and the end of the bear markets is nowhere in […]
Goldman says the bear market for battery metal prices is far from over
Goldman Sachs finds it is too early to call an end to a battery raw materials price plunge, warning that significant supply pipelines and Western electric vehicle headwinds could keep prices lower for longer. The forecast, which is part of a research note published on Tuesday, follows a sharp downturn in the price for some […]
Gold price flirts with new highs with market leaning towards June rate cut
Gold prices flirted with record highs on Monday as investors continue to bet on the safe-haven metal in anticipation of a US Federal Reserve interest rate cut this June. Spot gold rose 1.5% to $2,115.43 per ounce by 2:35 p.m. EDT, just $20 off its record high of $2,135 set in December 2023. US gold […]
As batteries demand more cobalt, scientists figure out how to use less for blue pigments
Researchers have discovered a new cobalt-doped barium aluminosilicate colourant that withstands the high temperatures found in a kiln and provides a bright colour to glazed tiles. In a paper published in the journal ACS Applied Optical Materials, the scientists point out that many brilliant blue pigments—like those in antique Chinese porcelain or works by Claude […]
Exxon aims to make key lithium technology decision by year-end
Exxon Mobil plans to decide by the end of the year which lithium filtration technology it will use in Arkansas as part of its push to become one of the world’s top producers of the battery metal, an executive said on Thursday. The company last fall announced its long-anticipated plan to filter lithium from the […]
Gold price hits two-month high as momentum builds for Fed rate cut
Gold prices rose by nearly 1.5% to a two-month high on Friday as disappointing US factory data and a drop in consumer sentiment reinforced bets on the possibility of interest rate cuts later in the year. Spot gold gained by more than 1.4% to $2,075.03 per ounce by 11:30 a.m. ET, about $60 off the record […]
