Key Macroeconomic Indicators for Base Metal Prices (2016-6-8)

Published: Jun 8, 2016 09:35
With some investors exiting from market for China’s Dragon Boat Festival from June 9-11, base metals are expected to see diverging trade on Wednesday.

SHANGHAI, Jun. 8 (SMM) – With some investors exiting from market for China’s Dragon Boat Festival from June 9-11, base metals are expected to see diverging trade on Wednesday. China’s financial market will be closed this evening.

Eyes will be on US crude oil inventories and China’s trade data for May. US JOLTs job  openings for April jumped to 5.76 million and this shows continuous recovery in US labor market.

Of sub-indexes that constitute China’s official manufacturing PMI, new order sub-index fell for second month in May and new export order sun-index also dropped to around 50. This indicates soft demand both at home and abroad. As for sub-indexes that constitute Caixin China manufacturing PMI, new order sub-indexes slid below 50 in May and new export business volume sub-index also posted declines. As such, China’s trade data may be disappointing.

US last week’s API crude oil inventories decreased 3.57 million bbl, on par with forecast and versus a rise of 2.35 million bbl in the prior week. The inventories in Cushing slipped 1.31 million bbl. But US crude oil futures for July delivery went lower due to unexpected rise in petrol inventories. 

Base Metals to Stay Weak as Investors Withdraw before Holiday, SMM Says


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 to learn 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
China's Copper Ore Imports Down 11.97% MoM, Up 5.84% YoY in February 2026
1 hour ago
China's Copper Ore Imports Down 11.97% MoM, Up 5.84% YoY in February 2026
Read More
China's Copper Ore Imports Down 11.97% MoM, Up 5.84% YoY in February 2026
China's Copper Ore Imports Down 11.97% MoM, Up 5.84% YoY in February 2026
General Administration of Customs: In February 2026, China imported 2.31 million dmt of copper ore and concentrate, a decrease of 11.97% month-on-month and an increase of 5.84% year-on-year. The cumulative imports in January-February increased by 4.9%.
1 hour ago
China's Jan 2026 Copper Ore Imports Down 2.96% MoM, Up 3.72% YoY
1 hour ago
China's Jan 2026 Copper Ore Imports Down 2.96% MoM, Up 3.72% YoY
Read More
China's Jan 2026 Copper Ore Imports Down 2.96% MoM, Up 3.72% YoY
China's Jan 2026 Copper Ore Imports Down 2.96% MoM, Up 3.72% YoY
General Administration of Customs: In January 2026, China imported 2.624 million dmt of copper ores and concentrates, a decrease of 2.96% month-on-month and an increase of 3.72% year-on-year.
1 hour ago
As Delivery Approaches, the Price Spread Between Futures Contracts Widens; SHFE Copper Spot Premiums Shift from a Discount to Flat [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]
1 hour ago
As Delivery Approaches, the Price Spread Between Futures Contracts Widens; SHFE Copper Spot Premiums Shift from a Discount to Flat [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]
Read More
As Delivery Approaches, the Price Spread Between Futures Contracts Widens; SHFE Copper Spot Premiums Shift from a Discount to Flat [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]
As Delivery Approaches, the Price Spread Between Futures Contracts Widens; SHFE Copper Spot Premiums Shift from a Discount to Flat [SMM Shanghai Spot Copper]
[SMM Shanghai Spot Copper] As the delivery period approaches, spot discounts for SHFE copper are expected to continue narrowing steadily. From the perspective of market structure, the inter-month contango price spread between futures contracts has widened, significantly strengthening suppliers’ willingness to ship to delivery warehouses. In particular, inventory in Jiangsu is mainly in the form of warrants, and suppliers tend to opt for delivery rather than spot sales, resulting in persistently tight availability of deliverable spot cargo. In addition, spot premiums quotes in Jiangsu are slightly higher than those in Shanghai. Against this backdrop, suppliers showed a strong willingness to hold prices firm intraday, and quotes in the second session were raised slightly, making procurement more difficult for some downstream enterprises. Looking ahead to tomorrow, under delivery-driven dynamics, spot premiums in Shanghai are expected to remain at current levels.
1 hour ago