February
More pain for nickel, lithium as supply deluge bites
Of the three key critical minerals, nickel has the darkest outlook because of cheap supply from Indonesia, but investors are backing copper as demand picks up.
- Cecile Lefort
‘Complacent’ iron ore market vulnerable to lithium-style crash
Iron ore prices are not factoring in a wave of new supply, leaving the commodity vulnerable to the same collapse that smashed battery metals, Yarra warns.
- Alex Gluyas
Newmont puts Telfer, Havieron mines in WA up for sale
The world’s top gold producer is seeking to sell six mines and two projects as part of an effort to generate $3.1 billion in cash.
- Jacob Lorinc
Shell lowers LNG growth view as demand set to peak in 2040s
Global natural gas demand peaked in the 2010s in Japan, Europe and Australia. Shell expects North America to follow in the 2030s and then the rest of the world.
- Anna Shiryaevskaya
Oil climbs with global equities, Middle East in focus
Energy prices are tracking a rally in global risk assets and continued aggression from Iranian-backed Houthi militants.
- Updated
- Yongchang Chin
Indonesia votes: dynasties, democracy and nickel
This week on The Fin podcast, Emma Connors on who is in the race to be Indonesia’s next president and what that will mean for the region and for Australia’s nickel miners.
Wild swings ahead for lithium as producers ‘play chicken’
A sharp correction in the battery metal price has triggered more cut backs in output and analysts say investors should brace for even more volatility.
- Joshua Peach
Bank of America more than halves lithium price forecasts for this year
The bank’s commodities strategists say competition between Australia and China is keeping supply growing even when there is limited demand.
- Timothy Moore
January
Citi tips iron ore at $US150 on China hopes
Citi has doubled down on its iron ore forecast and has upgraded its copper forecasts after Beijing pledged further support for its struggling economy. Goldman is also bullish.
- Alex Gluyas
Iron ore prices hit the skids on China growth fears
Iron ore prices tumbled 6 per cent last week to below $US130 a tonne after China’s disappointing economic data and the central bank’s decision not to cut rates on Monday.
- Cecile Lefort
The government helped dairy farmers – and created another problem
The gap between the local farm gate price and that in New Zealand is now so wide there has been a rise in cheaper imports, hurting Australian producers.
- Cecile Lefort
Oil tops $US80 as strikes against Houthis raise Middle East risks
Global benchmark brent rose as much as 4.3 per cent, briefly topping $US80 a barrel, as investors feared an escalation of hostilities.
- Alex Longley and Yongchang Chin
US becomes top LNG exporter, overtaking Australia and Qatar
The US exported 91.2 million tonnes of LNG in 2023, a record for the country, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Australia was second.
- Ruth Liao
Alcoa to cut jobs as it slows output at WA alumina plant
Alcoa will curtail its Kwinana alumina refinery, which has about 860 workers and 320 contractors as the top US aluminium producer begins to reckon with cost-cutting measures.
- Joe Deaux
Oil slumps as Saudi price cuts underscore softer market outlook
US oil futures tumbled as much as 5 per cent, the biggest intraday drop in more than a month, to trade near $US70 a barrel. Brent tracked those losses.
- Julia Fanzeres and Alex Longley
Oil rises amid Middle East turmoil, renewed supply concerns
The commodity returned to the $US78 a barrel mark as bombings in Iran ramped up worries that Israel’s war against Hamas would trigger a wider conflict.
- Updated
- Julia Fanzeres
- Opinion
- Iron ore
What is behind the iron ore rally?
China’s love affair with property may be ending, but no one seems to have told iron ore traders.
- The Lex Column
