FXEmpire.com - Natural gas advances to a new trend high of 2.40 on Tuesday and hits the initial target from a measured move. Upward momentum still looks constructive as the day’s trading range is relatively narrow and positioned in the upper zone of Monday’s range. If natural gas
FXEmpire.com - Gold
Gold 140524 Daily Chart
Gold moved above the $2350 level as traders focused on Powell’s dovish comments and falling Treasury yields. Powell signaled that rates would likely stay at current levels for some time.
US President Joe Biden signed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act into law on Monday (May 13), effectively starting the process of ending US dependence on imported uranium supply.“This new law reestablishes America’s leadership in the nuclear sector. It will help secure our energy sector for generations to come,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a White House statement. “And — building off the unprecedented US$2.72 billion in federal funding that Congress recently appropriated at the President’s request — it will jumpstart new enrichment capacity in the United States and send a clear message to industry that we are committed to long-term growth in our nuclear sector,” he continued.The act aligns with multilateral goals established last December with US production allies, including Canada, France, Japan and the UK. They pledged to invest US$4.2 billion to expand uranium enrichment and conversion capacities. The US' reliance on Russian uranium dates back in 1993 under the Megatons to Megawatts program, which was established shortly after the Cold War. The initiative involved the purchase of 500 metric tons of uranium from dismantled Russian nuclear warheads, which was then converted into fuel for nuclear reactors.The new legislation is set to change the status quo. With the backing of the federal government, the US has set its sights on sourcing its uranium needs locally, starting with the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) in Ohio.
Senate paves way for Russian ban
The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act garnered unanimous consent in the Senate on April 30. The bipartisan bill, which received approval from the House of Representatives in December, includes provisions for waivers in the event that US nuclear reactors have trouble securing non-Russian supply. Moreover, it earmarks US$2.7 billion to bolster the development of the domestic uranium-processing industry.According to 2023 data from the US Energy Information Administration, 12 percent of the country's yearly uranium imports originated in Russia, while 25 percent of material was mined in Kazakhstan and 11 percent in Uzbekistan.Uranium fuels nuclear reactors, playing a vital role in electricity generation. The US ban on Russian imports mirrors previous actions taken against the nation, such as the prohibition of Russian oil imports following the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, alongside the implementation of price controls on select crude product exports.The ban on Russian imports is expected to disrupt an estimated US$1 billion in annual trade flow to Russia. Replacing this supply is likely to be challenging, and could raise enriched uranium costs by up to 20 percent.The statute, which will expire at the end of 2040, includes provisions allowing the Department of Energy (DOE) to issue waivers authorizing Russian uranium imports according to limits established in an anti-dumping agreement.Senator John Barrasso, a Republican senator from Wyoming and a top figure on the Senate Energy Committee, emphasized the readiness of states like Wyoming to step in and fill the void left by Russian imports."Our bipartisan legislation will help defund Russia's war machine, revive American uranium production, and jumpstart investments in America's nuclear fuel supply chain," noted the lawmaker in a press release.
Other efforts to ramp up US uranium supply
Work to produce HALEU in the US is reportedly already underway.Last autumn, a facility in Ohio initiated the nation's first domestic production of HALEU, albeit at a small scale. Now, with the support of the federal government, efforts are underway to expand domestic production capacity. The DOE has offered private companies a minimum of US$2 million each to kickstart HALEU production, marking the second phase of a US$500 million allocation from Biden's climate-spending law, the Inflation Reduction Act.“Boosting our domestic uranium supply won’t just advance President Biden’s historic climate agenda, but also increase America’s energy security, create good-paying union jobs, and strengthen our economic competitiveness,” said Ali Zaidi, Biden’s national climate adviser, in a statement released earlier this year.Speaking to CNBC in August 2022, Edward McGinnis, former chief executive of fuel-recycling Startup Curio, raised the potential of recycling nuclear waste to complement traditional uranium mining. He called on the Senate and White House to champion measures to deploy nuclear waste recycling, describing it as a win-win solution that addresses both the nuclear waste problem and the need for domestic fuel production.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network on May 1, 2024. Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
The World Platinum Investment Council (WPIC) has released its latest platinum market report, adjusting its 2024 deficit projection up to 476,000 ounces as weaker supply is outpaced by sustained auto and industrial demand.“For the second consecutive year, the platinum market will post a meaningful deficit underscored by platinum's sustained demand and supply vulnerability amidst global economic challenges,” said WPIC CEO Trevor Raymond.“While we currently forecast a deficit of 476 koz, it is worth mentioning that a revision to the bar and coin investment series, based on new field research and information, could mean this deficit is potentially deeper,” he added.Total platinum supply in the first quarter was the second lowest in the WPIC's time series at at 1,625,000 ounces, with the full-year number also expected to be near a record low. The market deficit for the quarter came in at 369,000 ounces.Despite efforts to bolster supply, risks remain a prominent theme in 2024. Total mine supply is forecast to decrease by 3 percent year-on-year, driven by lower output from key producing regions such as South Africa and Russia.More specifically, restructuring and impending closure announcements in the South African region have had a major impact in maintaining operational flexibility, according to Edward Sterck, the WPIC's director of research.“In the past, if a mining company happened to hit a geological interruption, they might have been able to move the work elsewhere. Going forward, the flexibility to be able to do that is probably reduced,” he told the Investing News Network.Refined production in South Africa is expected to decline by 2 percent year-on-year due to announced restructuring plans, closures of shafts/sections and slower production ramp ups than previously anticipated.Similarly, Russian supply is projected to be affected by planned smelter maintenance throughout 2024. In North America, headcount reductions are anticipated to impede the return of production to pre-2020 levels.Recycling also contributes to platinum supply, and while it showed some improvement in Q1 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, it remains historically weak. The WPIC reported better jewelry recycling, primarily driven by the liquidation of platinum jewelry stocks, but said weakness persists in automotive recycling and the electronics sector.
Automotive sector leads platinum demand higher
On the demand side, automotive platinum demand is benefiting from ongoing substitution of platinum for palladium, increased production of light- and heavy-duty vehicles and hybridization trends.Coming in at a seven year high in Q1, automotive demand was 832,000 ounces, which Sterck said was partially the result of consumers' reluctance to switch from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs). He noted that EV market share has stalled out at about 20 to 25 percent in China, while Europe is at about 20 percent. North America is quite a bit lower, at only single digits for EV market share. "That said, they are prepared to make the switch to partial electrification. So we're seeing the fastest-growing segments now are hybrid vehicles," he said, adding that these vehicles require platinum. "I think the kind of impact here really is that what we're seeing is potentially a higher-for-longer environment for platinum for automotive end uses." Meanwhile, platinum demand from the jewelry sector is expected to rebound from a low base, with an anticipated increase of 109,000 ounces in 2024. The WPIC anticipates that this growth will be broad-based, with India expected to lead the way in terms of growth, while China is poised for a mild recovery.Total industrial demand for platinum is forecast at 2,242,000 ounces in 2024, reflecting a 15 percent decline year-on-year. This decline should be understood in the context of record demand levels in 2023.The industrial demand segment now includes a separate line item for the hydrogen economy, accounting for 75,000 ounces and representing a significant increase of 128 percent year-on-year. This encompasses applications such as electrolysis, stationary power and non-automotive fuel cell mobility.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Welcome to our monthly round-up of the LBMA OTC trading volumes in gold, silver, platinum and palladium, as recorded on a daily basis by the Association.
FXEmpire.com - Natural Gas Technical Analysis
Natural gas markets have pulled back slightly during the early hours on Tuesday as we continue to see an overall upward move, but we are getting a little stretched at this point. This does make a certain amount of sense considering th
FXEmpire.com - U.S. Natural Gas Futures Movement
U.S. natural gas futures are lower early Tuesday, contrasting with a 15-week high reached on Monday when prices surged approximately 6% due to increased demand projections for the coming week. This recent fluctuation in prices come
To receive updates on ag commodities in your inbox, subscribe to the free newsletter Agricultural Commodities Focus.Global wheat stocks are projected to decline for the fifth consecutive year, reaching their lowest levels since 2015/16, as major exporting countries grapple with s
To receive updates on ag commodities in your inbox, subscribe to the free newsletter Agricultural Commodities Focus.Cotton prices have retreated in recent weeks, reflecting an easing of concerns about exportable supplies and uncertainty regarding Chinese import demand in the upco
FXEmpire.com -
Market Overview
Oil prices increased, driven by improved economic prospects in China and wildfire threats in Alberta. Chinese inflation data for April indicate
Nick Hodge, publisher at Digest Publishing, shared his latest thoughts on gold, silver, copper and uranium. Speaking first about the yellow metal, he said he sees it maintaining its bullish edge. "Gold is starting to check technical milestones. It's checking technical boxes that tell broader, more generalist investors that gold is emerging from a bear market, and it starts to beget or attract capital simply because it's going up," Hodge explained. While silver is currently lagging behind gold, it's starting to move based on a shift in perspective. "What's happened is that silver is being treated now as more of a precious metal than an industrial metal," Hodge explained during the interview. "Before it was trading sideways to down with copper, and now that gold has caught a bid, silver is doing what it's typically done in the past — it's being treated more as a precious metal."Looking over to copper, he said while its supply/demand fundamentals have been strong for some time, prices are now moving because a recession hasn't materialized in the US. Meanwhile, other countries are coming out of recessions. One way Hodge is playing copper is with the iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF (NASDAQ:ICOP). In closing, he touched on uranium, saying he remains bullish as the commodity consolidates after a quick run. "Commodities move in cycles ... and I think that it's going to be a cascading or a wave effect," he said. "We talked about how investors are bored with uranium right now because they're more intrigued with gold and copper. Well you're going to see that copper will do its thing for a little bit and then it'll spill over into silver and platinum-group metals and then back into uranium. I think that with higher inflation for longer and then with relatively stagnant growth it's a good environment for commodities across the board to move higher. And they're just going to do so in independent cycles." Watch the interview above for more of Hodge's thoughts on gold, silver, copper and uranium. Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
FXEmpire.com - Following a drop below Friday’s low earlier in Monday’s session, natural gas rallied to a new trend high, generating a bullish outside day. In addition, last week’s high was exceeded. If today’s close is above last week’s high of 2.34, another bullish clue will be
FXEmpire.com - Natural Gas
Natural Gas 130524 Daily Chart
Natural gas tests new highs as the rebound continues. Strong demand forom LNG exports provides additional support to prices.
FXEmpire.com - Gold
Gold 130524 Daily Chart
Gold pulls back as traders take profits after the recent rebound. Falling Treasury yields did not provide support to gold markets.
Following the discovery of assay result inconsistencies at its Wawa gold project, Red Pine Exploration (TSXV:RPX,OTCQB:RDEXF) disclosed on May 10 that 532 out of approximately 98,000 assay results in its database appear to have been manipulated since it took ownership of the asset in 2014.An internal investigation has revealed that the assay result inconsistencies were caused by the actions of the company's former CEO, Quentin Yarie. The discrepancies were first reported by Red Pine on May 1. Yarie is alleged to have manipulated certain assay results received from Activation Laboratories, subsequently disseminating them for various purposes, including resource modeling and public disclosure.The Wawa gold project, which is situated in Northern Ontario and is the company’s flagship operation, covers over 7,000 hectares and is home to several past-producing mines with historic production of 120,000 ounces of gold. The company's share price plunged on May 1, dropping to C$0.08 from the previous day's close of C$0.21. While it saw a slight recovery over the next two weeks, rising as high as C$0.12, it sank again on May 10 to C$0.09.
Chart via Google Finance. Red Pine Exploration stock chart, April 15 to May 13. According to Red Pine, assay result mismatches occurred during two periods: 2014 to 2019 and 2019 to 2024. In the 2014 to 2019 period, both the Surluga and Minto deposits at Wawa were affected. The company's May 10 release notes that while no material losses are anticipated from Surluga's indicated resource, it estimates a reduction of 39,500 to 54,000 ounces from its inferred resource. In terms of Minto, Red Pine said it estimates a loss of 8,000 to 12,000 ounces from its indicated resource and a decrease of 16,000 to 20,000 ounces in its inferred resource. The company has emphasized that these numbers are its own internal estimates and have not been verified by an independent qualified person. Investigations into the 2019 to 2024 period are ongoing, although Red Pine said it hopes to provide an update in a press release before the market opens on Wednesday (May 15). A conference call is planned for that day at 10:00 a.m. EDT. WSP Global, a consulting and engineering firm, has been appointed by the company to oversee an independent verification of all assay certificates from 2014 to the present. Red Pine has also informed the Ontario Securities Commission about the issue, and is looking into possible legal remedies moving forward.
Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Major fertilizer producer Nutrien (TSX:NTR,NYSE:NTR) shared its first quarter results on May 8, reporting net earnings of US$165 million for the period, down 71 percent year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA came in at US$1.1 billion, a 26 percent year-on-year decline, while Nutrien recorded adjusted net earnings per share of US$0.46, a fall of 50 percent over the same timeframe. The company said the decreases came on the back of lower net fertilizer selling prices, but pointed to strong demand for crop inputs. It is seeing strong potash demand in North America, as well as Southeast Asia, where lower inventory levels are supporting buying. Nutrien also pointed to strong Q1 potash imports from China. Nutrien's four operating segments are Nutrien Ag Solutions, potash, nitrogen and phosphate. The company highlighted Ag Solutions' adjusted first quarter EBITDA of US$77 million, saying it was propelled by higher gross margins for crop nutrients and crop protection products, which make up a surging market in the North American region.The potash segment's adjusted EBITDA declined slightly to US$530 million in Q1. However, Nutrien was able to increase potash production and reduce controllable cash costs per metric ton through advancements in mine automation.Meanwhile, adjusted EBITDA for the nitrogen segment sank to US$464 million. The company said selling prices for all major nitrogen products were lower during the first quarter, offsetting higher sales volumes and lower natural gas prices. President and CEO Ken Seitz underscored the company's ability to meet customer needs amid shifting market conditions, commenting, “Our results highlighted the capabilities of our flexible, low-cost production assets and downstream distribution network to efficiently supply our customers’ needs.”He added, “We expect growth in retail earnings and fertilizer sales volumes compared to the prior year and have maintained our 2024 guidance ranges. Our focus remains on strengthening our capability to serve growers and enhancing our core businesses to improve the quality of our earnings and free cash flow." In the release, Nutrien also reaffirmed its commitment to prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of its employees following an incident at its Saskatchewan mine last March during which a worker sustained injuries.Don't forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
FXEmpire.com - Natural Gas Technical Analysis
The natural gas markets have rallied just a little bit during the trading session here on Monday and at this point in time, it looks like the $2 level underneath is going to continue to be an attractive support level.
FXEmpire.com - Natural Gas Futures Decline: Bearish Signals Emerge
Technical Adjustment:
Natural gas futures took a downward turn, influenced by signs of a potential bearish trend, notably highlighted by a closing price reversal top last Friday. This movement is largely seen as a
Peabody Energy Corp (Symbol: BTU) has been named as the ''Top Dividend Stock of the S&P Metals and Mining Select Industry Index'', according to Dividend Channel, which published its most recent ''DividendRank'' report. The report noted that among the components of the S&am