SMM Evening Comments (May 28)

Published: May 28, 2018 18:26
SMM Evening Comments

SHANGHAI, May 28 (SMM) – Nonferrous metals, except for SHFE lead, rose across the board on Monday May 28. SHFE tin led the increases with a gain of over 2%. SHFE zinc rose nearly 1.6%, while nickel, copper, and aluminium inched up.

Most ferrous metals closed lower except for coking coal. Iron ore fell nearly 1%, while coke, hot-rolled coil, and rebar dipped.

Copper: As shorts continue to exit the market, the SHFE 1807 contract climbed up during the day. Shorts and longs drove the contract to a session-high of 51,630 yuan/mt before closure. Technically, it now struggles between the five- and 60-day moving averages with support from the 10- and 20-day moving averages. We expect it to continue its rangebound pattern tonight.

Aluminium: The SHFE 1807 contract initially hit a high of 14,850 yuan/mt in the morning but closed lower at 14,800 yuan/mt in the afternoon as investors exited the market. Open interest for SHFE aluminium registered a new low since August 1 last year and stood at 640,000 lots. Trading volumes also registered a fresh low since June 26, 2017 and came in at 213,000 lots. We expect it to remain rangebound in the short term.

Zinc: The SHFE 1807 contract surged and tested pressure at the 40-day moving average during the day. A total of 19,500 lots of open interest shrank in the 1806 and 1807 contracts while  open interest in the 1808 contract increased nearly 14,000 lots. We see resistance at the 40-day moving average and the 24,000 yuan/mt level and expect it to test the pressure above tonight.

Nickel: As investors added their longs, the SHFE 1807 contract gained during the day and touched a high of 110,640 yuan/mt . The contract is likely to strengthen further tonight as KDJ indicators barely diverged from one another and as the longer-term moving average of the MACD lengthened.

Lead: Longs initially bolstered the SHFE 1807 contract to the five-day moving average. The contract then hovered around the 19,850 yuan/mt level within a range of 80 yuan/mt for the most of the day. We see the contract sustaining its upward momentum in the short term as it has not broken the five-day moving average. We expect the contract to continue to consolidate at high levels tonight.

Tin: The SHFE 1809 contract soared during the day and hit a high of 150,830 yuan/mt before closure. Its open interest jumped 7,210 lots today. We expect it to continue to rise in the short term with resistance at the 152,000 yuan/mt level.

 


For editorial queries, please contact Daisy Tseng at daisy@smm.cn 
For more information on how to access our research reports, please email service.en@smm.cn

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
"Divergent Labour Day Production Strategies Among China's Secondary Copper Rod Firms Amid Policy and Capital Pressures"
22 hours ago
"Divergent Labour Day Production Strategies Among China's Secondary Copper Rod Firms Amid Policy and Capital Pressures"
Read More
"Divergent Labour Day Production Strategies Among China's Secondary Copper Rod Firms Amid Policy and Capital Pressures"
"Divergent Labour Day Production Strategies Among China's Secondary Copper Rod Firms Amid Policy and Capital Pressures"
During the 2026 Labour Day holiday, production arrangements among China's secondary copper rod enterprises showed a notable divergence, with some choosing to halt production for the holiday while others maintained normal operations
22 hours ago
Cautious Stockpiling Amid High Copper Prices, Finished Product Inventories Down Slightly Before Labour Day
Apr 30, 2026 22:09
Cautious Stockpiling Amid High Copper Prices, Finished Product Inventories Down Slightly Before Labour Day
Read More
Cautious Stockpiling Amid High Copper Prices, Finished Product Inventories Down Slightly Before Labour Day
Cautious Stockpiling Amid High Copper Prices, Finished Product Inventories Down Slightly Before Labour Day
[SMM Copper Wire and Cable Weekly Inventory] Despite the approaching Labour Day holiday, overall enterprise stockpiling sentiment remained cautious due to high copper prices. As a result, raw material inventories of mainstream copper wire and cable enterprises in China edged up 2.58% WoW. Finished product inventories side, some wire and cable enterprises suspended quotations during the Labour Day holiday, and some end-users cautiously picked up goods in advance, driving finished product inventories down slightly by 2.42% WoW.
Apr 30, 2026 22:09
Copper Wire and Cable Industry Sees Decline in Operating Rates Amid High Copper Prices
Apr 30, 2026 22:08
Copper Wire and Cable Industry Sees Decline in Operating Rates Amid High Copper Prices
Read More
Copper Wire and Cable Industry Sees Decline in Operating Rates Amid High Copper Prices
Copper Wire and Cable Industry Sees Decline in Operating Rates Amid High Copper Prices
This week (April 24–April 30), the SMM operating rate of copper wire and cable enterprises was 65.9%, down 1.09 percentage points WoW. Copper prices hovered at highs this week, and earlier concentrated procurement had front-loaded some subsequent demand. Industry orders in the wire and cable industry remained weak, with operating rates continuing to decline. Next week, wire and cable industry operations will continue to pull back. Most enterprises will have a short Labour Day holiday break, with some choosing to cut production or maintain operations without shutting down. The operating rate is expected to continue falling by 3.12 percentage points WoW to 62.78%.
Apr 30, 2026 22:08
SMM Evening Comments (May 28) - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)