SMM Aluminum Market Morning Review (2015-5-13)

Published: May 13, 2015 09:25

Save

A weaker US dollar and rising crude oil helped LME aluminum rise to USD 1,897/mt after opening at 1,884/mt on Tuesday.

SHANGHAI, May 13 (SMM) – A weaker US dollar and rising crude oil helped LME aluminum rise to USD 1,897/mt after opening at 1,884/mt on Tuesday. The US dollar softened due to dovish remarks by a US Fed official. Crude oil gained 3% as the OPEC raised forecast for petroleum demand this year. Finally, LME aluminum ended at USD 1,892/mt. Trading volumes were down 434 lots to 10,195 lots, and positions were up 718 to 793,519.

On Tuesday night, SHFE 1507 aluminum contract followed LME aluminum up to RMB 13,380/mt before finishing the night session at RMB 13,375/mt. Trading volumes totaled 9,908 lots, and positions were up 526 to 132,096.

Today will see the release of China’s fixed asset investment and consumer goods retail sales data. SHFE 1507 aluminum contract should move between RMB 13,350-13,390/mt on Wednesday. In China’s spot market, spot discounts of RMB 140-180/mt are expected over SHFE 1505 aluminum contract.

LME aluminum prices SHFE aluminum prices

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM's internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or for more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

Sep 11, 2026 18:00

Domestic High-Grade NPI Costs Drop, but Profit Margins Squeeze Amid Falling Selling Prices

[SMM Nickel Flash] Domestic high-grade NPI production costs declined this week. Lower Philippine nickel ore prices, coupled with a pullback in coke prices, reduced smelting raw material costs. However, NPI selling prices fell significantly over the same period, dragging on profitability and narrowing profit margins for domestic smelters.

Sep 11, 2026 18:00

SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Price Drops to 1,095.5 Yuan/Unit, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls to $141.14/Unit

[SMM Nickel Flash] The average price of SMM 10-12% high-grade NPI fell by 17.7 yuan/nickel unit WoW to 1,095.5 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included), while the average price of the Indonesia NPI FOB index dropped by $2.93/nickel unit WoW to $141.14/nickel unit. This week, the high-grade NPI market continued to weaken, with the price center moving steadily lower. Upstream and downstream price negotiations intensified, and the market entered a stalemate, consolidating at lows.

Sep 11, 2026 18:00

Sep 11, 2026 17:45

[SMM Analysis] High-Grade NPI Prices Decline as Supply Recovers and Market Activity Slows

The average price of SMM 10-12% high-grade NPI fell WoW by 17.7 yuan/nickel unit to 1,095.5 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included), and the average price of the Indonesia NPI FOB index fell WoW by $2.93/nickel unit to $141.14/nickel unit. This week, the high-grade NPI market continued to weaken, with the price center shifting steadily lower. Price negotiations between upstream and downstream intensified, and the market entered a phase of stagnant consolidation at lows.

Sep 11, 2026 17:45