Hot Topics in Global Metals & Mining Each Week, BMO Equity Research Metal Matters

BMO Equity Research Metal Matters

Hot Topics in Global Metals & Mining Each Week

Featuring Colin Hamilton, Commodities analyst at BMO Capital Markets, Metal Matters discusses the hot topics in Global Metals & Mining each week.

Commodities

Copper is a chemical element with symbol Cu (from Latin: cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a reddish-orange color. It is used as a conductor of heat and electricity, as a building material and as a constituent of various metal alloys, such as Sterling silver used in jewelry, cupronickel used to make marine hardware and coins and constantan used in strain gauges and thermocouples for temperature measurement.

<ul>
<li>Export restrictions have impacted the trade between China and the US, with potential for increased support for mineral imports from Canada</li>
<li>The incoming Biden administration may focus on boosting domestic mineral recovery and supply chain security</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>
This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.


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.

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

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul><li>Copper smelters are struggling for profitability but output is still rising, creating a relative concentrate imbalance in copper and zinc.</li><li>Zinc mine output has declined year on year, leading to a tightness in concentrate supply and challenges for smelters.</li><li>The electric vehicle market is facing challenges due to high costs and lack of policy support, especially in OECD markets, while China has a significant lead in the industry with lower costs and established supply chains.</li></ul>This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

Copper smelters are struggling for profitability but output is still rising, creating a relative concentrate imbalance in copper and zinc.Zinc mine output has declined year on year, leading to a tightness in concentrate supply and challenges for smelters.The electric vehicle market is facing challenges due to high costs and lack of policy support, especially in OECD markets, while China has a significant lead in the industry with lower costs and established supply chains.This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from Latin: aurum) and the atomic number 79. In its purest form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and a group 11 element. It is one of the least reactive chemical elements, and is solid under standard conditions. The metal therefore occurs often in free elemental (native) form, as nuggets or grains, in rocks, in veins and in alluvial deposits. It occurs in a solid solution series with the native element silver (as electrum) and also naturally alloyed with copper and palladium. Less commonly, it occurs in minerals as gold compounds, often with tellurium (gold tellurides).

<ul><li>Talk of a 5-10% output cut in Tangshan to be maintained through year end causing steel prices in China to stabilize</li><li>Accumulated losses in China's steel industry at $400 million over the first seven months of the year, leading to concerns about forced consolidation</li><li>Improvement in sentiment due to positive demand side news in the metals industry, including local governments using special purpose bonds to buy properties and a rare target set for housing completions in the second half of the year</li></ul>This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

Talk of a 5-10% output cut in Tangshan to be maintained through year end causing steel prices in China to stabilizeAccumulated losses in China's steel industry at $400 million over the first seven months of the year, leading to concerns about forced consolidationImprovement in sentiment due to positive demand side news in the metals industry, including local governments using special purpose bonds to buy properties and a rare target set for housing completions in the second half of the yearThis content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

Steel is an alloy of iron and other elements, primarily carbon, that is widely used in construction and other applications because of its high tensile strength and low cost. Steel's base metal is iron, which is able to take on two crystalline forms (allotropic forms), body centered cubic (BCC) and face centered cubic (FCC), depending on its temperature. It is the interaction of those allotropes with the alloying elements, primarily carbon, that gives steel and cast iron their range of unique properties. In the body-centred cubic arrangement, there is an iron atom in the centre of each cube, and in the face-centred cubic, there is one at the center of each of the six faces of the cube. Carbon, other elements, and inclusions within iron act as hardening agents that prevent the movement of dislocations that otherwise occur in the crystal lattices of iron atoms.

<ul><li>China's steel industry is facing significant challenges, including price drops, overcapacity, and government intervention</li><li>Steel producers are preparing for potential consolidation and supply side reforms to address the industry crisis</li><li>Iron ore prices have also been impacted by the challenges in the steel market, with expectations for lower Chinese imports and domestic output</li></ul>This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

China's steel industry is facing significant challenges, including price drops, overcapacity, and government interventionSteel producers are preparing for potential consolidation and supply side reforms to address the industry crisisIron ore prices have also been impacted by the challenges in the steel market, with expectations for lower Chinese imports and domestic outputThis content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

<ul><li>China's state grid is increasing spending by 13% this year, which could boost sentiment in the copper sector</li><li>Chinese steel rebar standards are changing, leading to concerns about obsolete inventories and potential pressure on steel prices</li><li>India's rising demand for metals, particularly in steel production, could have a significant impact on the global market by 2030</li></ul>This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

China's state grid is increasing spending by 13% this year, which could boost sentiment in the copper sectorChinese steel rebar standards are changing, leading to concerns about obsolete inventories and potential pressure on steel pricesIndia's rising demand for metals, particularly in steel production, could have a significant impact on the global market by 2030This content is sourced through publicly available sources and has been machine generated. Information displayed is for general informational purposes only.

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Hot Topics in Global Metals & Mining Each Week
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