Daily Brief Energy/Materials: CPMC Holdings, Gold, Copper, Iron Ore, Iluka Resources, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Akzo Nobel NV and more

• Back on the 29th August 2024, CPMC Holdings (906 HK) announced  ORG Technology Co., Ltd. A (002701 CH) had secured SAMR approval.  Mofcom and NDRC approvals subsequently followed. 
• The pre-condition long stop date is the 6th January. SAFE is the outstanding pre-condition. Separately, Zhang Wei’s 22.01% irrevocable expired on the 5th December – with no HKEx announcement.
• Quite a lot to pack in with 16 business days to the pre-con long stop. Sounding out people involved with the transaction would be ideal.  So that’s what I did. 

• Outlook for 2025 across commodities sectors discussed
• Bullish view on gold, base metals, and agricultural commodities
• Neutral to bearish outlook on oil prices for 2025 and 2026

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• Export restrictions have impacted the trade between China and the US, with potential for increased support for mineral imports from Canada
• The incoming Biden administration may focus on boosting domestic mineral recovery and supply chain security
• The copper market is facing challenges with potential oversupply, while cobalt prices are set for the worst year in history due to stagnating demand and increasing output.

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• SGX IO Futures January 2025 contract fell $1.85/ton, closing at $102.55/ton on 6/Dec, with prices trading in a $3.45/ton range.
• Prices traded above the weekly pivot point of $103.20/ton until 6/Dec but failed to breach the R1 resistance at $106.05/ton, reflecting constrained upward momentum.
• Volume Put/Call ratio rose to 1.47; March 2025 expiry saw the highest put volume. Implied volatility increased modestly for December expiry but declined for January and February.

• The funding package between Iluka Resources and the government was finalized, leading to a 10% market decline
• Iluka Resources planned to build a Rare Earths refinery in Enneba with the assistance of a $1.05 billion non recourse loan from the Australian government
• Iluka also had plans to process their Wimmera deposit through the refinery, despite challenges with separation and impurities causing delays in development.

This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

• The US oil and gas rig count rose by 7 to 589 for the week ending on 06/Dec, rising for the first time in four weeks
• For the week ending 29/Nov, US oil production rose to 13.51m bpd from 13.49m bpd the week prior. US output edged past its record high of 13.5m bpd.
• The number of active US oil rigs rose by five to 482, while the US gas rig count rose by two to 102.

• WTI futures dropped 1.8% for the week ending 06/Dec, as concerns of oversupply in 2025 offset the impact of OPEC extending cuts and rising geopolitical tensions.
• WTI options Put/Call volume ratio jumped to 1.24 from 0.82 (29/Nov) last week, as call volume rose by 19.8% WoW while put volume surged by 81%.  
• WTI OI PCR remained unchanged at 0.88 from last week. Call OI rose by 3.3% WoW, while put OI increased by 3.6%.

• US natural gas prices dropped 8.5% for the week ending 06/Dec, driven by volatile weather forecasts, which predicted a warmer-than-expected winter.
• Henry Hub Put/Call volume ratio fell to 1.06 from 1.47 (29/Nov) the previous week as put volumes fell by 20.6% WoW, while call volumes increased by 10.2%. 
• Henry Hub OI PCR rose to 0.84 from 0.83 compared to last week. Call OI rose by 5.3% WoW, while put OI increased by 6.7%.

• In this edition: • Philips/Unilever/AkzoNobel/Heineken/Signify | Chinese leaders have changed their stance on monetary policy • Aalberts | commits to FY26 objectives and launches FY30 objectives • Havas | Vivendi shareholders support demerger plan • Dutch banking sector | Volksbank to take charge of EUR 360m this year

• We summarize the sensitivity of high-yield stocks Vale (VALE US) and Fortescue Metals (FMG AU) to the iron ore price. We try to answer what’s priced in at 100 USD/ton.
• We provide sensitivity tables for both stocks based on a range of 90-130 USD/ton. At 100 USD/ton, Vale (VALE US)/Fortescue Metals (FMG AU)  trade at 7.4/6.4% dividend yields.
• Bullish iron ore participants subscribing to the 130 USD/ton forecast can see yields of 16.3%/11.4%. This forecast will be achievable if the China stimulus provides the expected impetus.