Zijin, Chihong Zinc in Shortfalls on Maintenance, SMM Reports

Total zinc ingots inventories across seven major markets in China stood at 284,100 mt as of April 15, up 6,100 mt from April 8, down 3,700 mt from April 11.

Shanghai base metals mostly trended lower on Tuesday morning after US dollar rallied significantly. Meanwhile, their counterparts on LME performed similarly.

Shanghai nonferrous metals mostly closed in the positive territory as the market was cheered up by the macro front, as China released its December official manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMI readings, which topped market expectation.

The suspension of economic agenda of Joe Biden drag down US stocks at the beginning of last week and the interest rate hikes in many overseas countries triggered the market worries about the economic downturn. Under this background, the bulls took profit and left the market.

SHFE and LME zinc prices once again hit new highs in two months, mainly owing to the continuously rising electricity and natural gas prices which rose by more than 20% amid intensifying energy shortages in the eurozone, according to SMM. Meanwhile, the costs of smelters also climbed due to low zinc concentrate TCs as a result of tight supply.

LME zinc fell to $3,283/mt in the first half of last week as the continuous deliveries in Asia led to increasing LME inventory and bearish sentiment pervaded on the announcement of bond-buying tampering by the Fed.

Focuses this week should include: Industrial/Economic Climate Index, CPI monthly rate and the readings of Manufacturing PMI in Eurozone in November, US ADP payrolls and US unemployment rate in November; China official manufacturing PMI, China Caixin Manufacturing PMI in November. In terms of events, the Fed Governor Bowman will deliver a speech on the central bank and the US economy this Tuesday. European Central Bank President Lagarde will participate in a round table meeting in Turin. The Fed will publish a Beige Book on economic conditions this Thursday.

Market focus this week includes the readings of the manufacturing PMI in the Eurozone in November and the Markit manufacturing PMI in the United States in November; the one-year loan market interest rate as of November 22 in China. On the events front, the Federal Reserve FOMC will release the minutes of the monetary policy meeting this Thursday; Bank of England Governor Bailey will deliver a speech this Friday.

The focus of this week includes the September seasonally adjusted trade account in the Eurozone; the November New York Federal Reserve manufacturing index; the October unemployment claims and unemployment rate in the United Kingdom; the Eurozone’s Q3 GDP annual rate readings and seasonally adjusted quarterly rate of employment; US retail sales monthly rate in October.

Shanghai base metals basically trended higher on Tuesday morning amid extended power rationing. Meanwhile, their counterparts on LME mostly fell.