[summary of SMM nickel internal morning meeting] High nickel price return increase observation on the price difference between nickel pig iron and pure nickel

Published: Feb 26, 2019 10:22
…… In the absence of more positive factors to boost, short-term or into consolidation, observe the nickel pig iron and pure nickel price difference data to guide the market.

SMM, Feb. 26 / PRNewswire-Asianet /-

The dollar continued to fall yesterday, closing down nearly 0.1 per cent at 96.422. As the progress of the Sino-US trade negotiations is optimistic and macroscopically warm, the willingness to take risks in the market has increased, and investors have bought riskier assets, Tepron earlier said that it had postponed the time when it had originally planned to raise tariffs on Chinese goods exported to the United States. Global stock markets, as well as risky currencies such as the Australian and New Zealand dollars, rose after suggesting that significant progress had been made in trade talks between the two countries. On oil prices, US President Donald Trump once again attacked the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC),) for saying the world was too fragile to afford rising prices and urged the organization to "relax". Crude oil futures plummeted nearly 3 per cent after Mr Trump tweeted that oil prices were too high. Spot, yesterday SMM 1 # electrolytic nickel 103150 to 103500 yuan / ton. Russia nickel than Wuxi 1903 liter water 50 yuan / ton, Jinchuan nickel than Wuxi 1903 contract liter water about 300yuan / ton. In the morning, Russian nickel traders generally reported rising water 50, shipment is better, downstream take the goods actively, mainly due to the expected later nickel prices to continue to rise. Jinchuan nickel transaction is relatively light, traders are not in a hurry to ship, and downstream take the goods in general. The ex-factory price of Jinchuan Company yesterday was 103300 yuan / ton, 1400 yuan / ton higher than last Friday. The mainstream transaction is 103100 to 103350 yuan / ton. In the afternoon, nickel prices continued to rise as a whole, but in the afternoon trading was light, trading all day was OK, downstream attitude was divided, and the mainstream transaction was 103100 to 103500 yuan / ton. Nickel pig iron, yesterday southern steel plant 1060 yuan / nickel point inquiry, to the plant including tax, a new high since November last year. Indonesia's nickel pig iron, Indonesia's Qingshan Hengjia nickel industry will bake the second 42000KVA furnace in early March, and is expected to produce 800 to 900 tons of metal per month after normal.

Nickel price judgment: after the festival pure nickel low warehouse + steel mills after the festival replenishment market support, superimposed Sino-US trade dispute relaxation brought warm atmosphere, nickel price recently went up to 103400 yuan / ton, is now close to the previous dense trading range. In the absence of more positive factors to boost, short-term or into consolidation, observe the nickel pig iron and pure nickel price difference data to guide the market.

On the inventory side, nickel stocks totaled 198900 tons on the 25th, down 1062 tons from the previous day; on Friday, stocks in Shanghai + East China + Free Trade Zone totaled 58981 tons, down 1.2 per cent from the previous Friday. Specifically: last period stocks of 11300 tons, down 903 tons from the previous Friday; East China stocks on Friday compared with the previous Friday reduced by 11300 tons to 17300 tons, bonded area stocks increased by 700 tons, or about 30400 tons.

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
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
Feb 7, 2026 16:41
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
Read More
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
High-Grade NPI Smelter Profits Squeezed as Ore Prices Rise and Sales Prices Dip
[SMM Nickel Flash] Based on nickel ore prices from 25 days ago, smelter profits for high-grade NPI remained high this week. However, from the current raw material side, ore prices from both the Philippines and Indonesia increased, while auxiliary material prices saw a slight pullback, leading to an increase in the cash cost of producing high-grade NPI from spot ore. At the same time, high-grade NPI prices experienced some pullback, making it difficult for smelter profits to see sustained improvement.
Feb 7, 2026 16:41
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
Feb 7, 2026 16:40
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
Read More
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
High-Grade NPI Prices Fall, Expected to Stabilize as Chinese New Year Approaches
[SMM Nickel Flash] This week, due to a sharp decline in futures triggering arbitrage selling, high-grade NPI prices fell significantly. However, after the selling activity subsided, upstream quotations and the market center gradually returned to normal levels, supported by cost factors. Looking ahead, as the Chinese New Year holiday approaches, market activity is expected to remain subdued, and high-grade NPI prices are projected to hover at highs with limited fluctuations.
Feb 7, 2026 16:40
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
Feb 7, 2026 16:39
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
Read More
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
Nickel Prices Drop: SMM 10-12% High-Grade NPI Down 17.2 Yuan, Indonesia NPI FOB Index Falls 2.06 $/mtu
[SMM Nickel Flash] The SMM average price of 10-12% high-grade NPI fell 17.2 yuan/mtu WoW to 1,035.8 yuan/mtu (ex-factory, tax included), while the Indonesia NPI FOB index average price dropped 2.06 $/mtu WoW to 131.2 $/mtu. At the beginning of the week, futures hit limit-down, and nickel prices fell sharply WoW, driving the emergence of arbitrage supplies sold at low prices, leading to a significant decline in high-grade NPI prices.
Feb 7, 2026 16:39