MondayOct 31, 2022 11:56 am

Bearish Market Conditions Put Pressure on Silver, Gold Prices

The strength of the U.S. dollar growing on the foreign exchange market, low prices of crude oil and increasing government bond market yields are negatively affecting consumer demand for safe-haven metals such as silver and gold. Market watchers are paying attention to Asian shares following President Xi Jinping’s power grab at the most recent communist party meeting. During the meeting, the Chinese president had aids remove a former party leader seated next to him from the National Congress. This action led stocks in the Asian market to drop, with investors in Asia expecting that Xi will soon move the country’s…

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FridayOct 28, 2022 10:11 am

Coal Projects Finding It Hard to Obtain Insurance Cover

A new report has found that projects featuring coal outside China are becoming uninsurable. This is because insurance companies have stopped underwriting the project. The latest industry scorecard by Insure Our Future shows that commitments to stop insuring coal by major insurers such as Travelers and AIG have reduced the number of insurance exit policies for coal to 41. This scorecard rates the major fossil fuel insurers around the globe based on the quality of their exclusion policies for fossil fuel. It shows that 39% of the primary insurance market and more than 60% of the reinsurance market are covered…

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ThursdayOct 27, 2022 12:20 pm

Russia’s Dominance of Nuclear Industry Is Impacting America’s Nuclear Plans

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked an energy crisis so serious that nations in Europe have had to switch to nuclear energy in order to meet demand. For instance, Germany announced recently that it planned to keep its three remaining nuclear power plants running until April 2023. The country had planned to close down the plants in response to the nuclear disaster, which occurred in Fukushima about a decade ago. In America, the country has had to dip into its oil reserves as well as radioactive stockpiles as it continues to transition from the use of fossil fuels for both…

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WednesdayOct 26, 2022 3:02 pm

Gold Industry Signs Declaration of Responsibility, Sustainability Principles

The global gold industry has signed a Declaration of Responsibility and Sustainability Principles. This declaration indicates a joint promise to operate in a sustainable as well as responsible way, based on clear goals. The declaration was announced at the recent LBMA/LPPM Global Precious Metals Conference. The signatories that bought into this declaration include the World Gold Council, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), the London Metal Exchange, the Singapore Bullion Market Association, the Dubai Multi Commodities Center, the China Gold Association, the Indian Bullion  and Jewelry Association, the Swiss Association of Precious Metals Producers and Traders, the Indian Gold Policy…

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TuesdayOct 25, 2022 12:33 pm

China May Switch to Russian Copper to Offset Possible Hike in Copper Prices Next Year

Currently, China is the largest consumer of copper globally. It is expected that in 2023, the country will purchase more copper from Russia in an effort to decrease the impact of the expected rise in premiums from other miners around the globe. Forecasts from various market participants show that premiums of physical copper sales to the East Asian nation will increase by between $150 and $210 per ton, over the London Metal Exchange’s benchmark price. Codelco, the largest miner of copper around the globe, has already increased its premiums for sales to the European Union in 2023 to $234 per…

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MondayOct 24, 2022 11:52 am

Researchers Find New Way to Use Gold to Measure Whisky’s Maturity

Scientists at the University of Glasgow have discovered a new way to use gold to measure whisky’s maturity. The researchers stated that every whisky variety gained some of its distinctive color as well as flavor profile as a result of its storage in wood casks as it matured over a certain period. They explained that the product’s final flavor was created when a mix of chemicals (congeners) retained within the spirit after distillation as well as the other chemicals it absorbed from the wooden casks reacted with oxygen over time. The interactions of congeners are unpredictable. This, combined with other…

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FridayOct 21, 2022 2:41 pm

Understanding the Gold Market Relative to Current Economic Conditions

Since this year began, we have seen a correction in the price of gold corresponding to the increasing rates of interest/bond yields. Gold has also been beat by the strengthening U.S. dollar, highlighting its negative correlation to the price of gold. We have also seen the price of spot gold drop to its current $1,666.45 from the $1,801.40 recorded at the start of 2022. Last month, gold dropped to its lowest level since 2020, driven by expectations of an increase in interest rates by the Fed. Thus far, the Federal Reserve has raised rates of interest five times in an…

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ThursdayOct 20, 2022 2:51 pm

Copper Shortages May Impact Prospects of Cabling Industry

Copper is a good conductor of electricity and is cheaper in comparison to other electrical materials. The metal also has a range of applications, having been used in a wide variety of applications, from cabling and car parts to consumer electronics. Figures show that since 1900, about 95% of all the copper that has ever been mined and smelted has been extracted. Given that copper is a finite resource, the metal’s supply is expected to decline as its demand and applications increase in the long term. Currently, the demand for the red metal is growing, with the latest data showing…

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WednesdayOct 19, 2022 11:21 am

New U.S. Initiative Will Help Communities Find Best Decarbonization Approach

The Idaho National Laboratory has come up with a new initiative that will  support economies and communities that are transitioning to the use of clean energy by enabling the communities to make suitable and informed choices. The initiative, titled the Emerging Energy Market Analysis, was developed by the lab in collaboration with the University of Wyoming, the University of Michigan, MIT, Boise State University and the University of Alaska. The initiative states that while the use of a community-based approach that speeds up the transition to the use of clean energy offers economies and communities a chance to prosper, the…

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TuesdayOct 18, 2022 2:34 pm

Thermal Coal Prices Ease as Winter Supply Concerns Abate

Thermal coal prices have been declining as supply increases and concerns of shortage are dissipated. The cost of coal used by power plants is, in some areas, dropping to levels recorded prior to Ukraine’s invasion in February. This invasion triggered a sharp increase as buyers expected to incur losses from both nations. Last week, the Australian benchmark price of 6,000 kcal/kg of coal at the Newcastle Port indicated a $373.75/ton price. This figure, as evaluated by globalCOAL, is a 6.4% decrease from the price recorded on the market’s close the week before. This grade, which is primarily used by utilities…

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