SMM Morning Comments (Nov 6): Shanghai base metals performance mixed as US election uncertainty remains

Published: Nov 6, 2020 09:55
Shanghai base metals traded mixed on Friday morning, as investors continue to wait for a result from the US election. Meanwhile, their counterparts on the LME were mostly higher.

SHANGHAI, Nov 6 (SMM) — Shanghai base metals traded mixed on Friday morning, as investors continue to wait for a result from the US election. Meanwhile, their counterparts on the LME were mostly higher.

Shanghai base metals closed mixed in overnight trading. Copper slid 0.14%, zinc declined 0.13% and tin weakened 0.02%, while aluminium climbed 0.1%, lead rose 0.38% and nickel increased 0.36%.

The LME complex rose for the most part. Nickel was the best performer with a rise of 0.94%. Copper advanced 0.44%, tin edged up 0.5%, zinc increased 0.71% and lead went up 0.11%, while aluminium fell 0.84%.

Aluminium: Three-month LME aluminium fell 0.84% to close at $1,892.5/mt on Thursday, with open interest rising to 748,000 lots. It is expected to trade between $1,870-1,910/mt today. 

The most-liquid SHFE 2012 aluminium contract slid 0.3% to settle at 14,805 yuan/mt on Thursday night, and is likely to trade between 14,700-15,000 yuan/mt today.

Zinc: Three-month LME zinc rose 0.71% to close at $2,607/mt on Thursday. Zinc stocks at LME-listed warehouses fell 425 mt to 217,800 mt. Overnight, the weak trend of the US dollar combined with Biden's great hope of winning the US election boosted the hope of introducing larger stimulus measures, and the market optimism warmed up. It is likely to trade between $2,570-2,620/mt today.

The most-liquid SHFE 2012 zinc contract weakened 0.13% to end at 19,925 yuan/mt in overnight trading. According to an SMM survey, the refinery production in other areas was relatively stable in October, except for the refinery production in Shaanxi. In addition, the pandemic in the first two quarters of this year affected the output of some refineries. In order to complete the annual production plan, some refineries also started to rush work at the end of the year. China's refined zinc output increased month on month in October, and the supply side's support for zinc price weakened. At present, the US election is still going on, and Biden is ahead of Trump for the time being, but the election situation is stalemate, and the final result is still unpredictable with macro unstable factors. The December zinc contract is expected to move between 19,500-20,000 yuan/mt today, while spot premiums for domestic 0# Shuangyan will be seen higher at 150-160 yuan/mt.

Nickel: The most-active SHFE 2102 nickel contract rose 0.73% to close at 117,410 yuan/mt on Thursday. Open interests rose 4,039 lots to 101,000 lots. The macro trend is still unclear, and metals have been negatively correlated with the US dollar in recent days. Whether the contract could remain above 117,000 yuan/mt will be monitored today.

Lead: Three-month LME lead rose to an intraday high at $1,863.5/mt before repairing some gains to settle 0.11% higher at $1,840/mt on Thursday. The impact of the turmoil caused by the US election and the rebound of the US dollar index on the lead prices will come under scrutiny.

The most-active SHFE 2012 lead contract trended higher on Thursday night, ending 0.49% higher at 14,420 yuan/mt. Domestic lead prices are expected to keep fluctuating at low in the near term.

Tin: Three-month LME tin closed up 0.5% at $18,255/mt on Thursday, after hitting an intraday low at $18,130/mt earlier in the session. Macro events and the guiding role of the US dollar in the trend of LME tin will be monitored today. Support below will be seen from $17,900/mt today. Pressure above will be seen from $18,600/mt today.

The most-liquid SHFE 2101 tin contract closed down 0.02% at 146,060 yuan/mt on Thursday night. The market focuses on the macro situation and the guidance provided by LME tin. Support below will be seen from 144,500 yuan/mt today. Pressure above will be seen from 148,000 yuan/mt today.

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
Copper Scrap Market Sees Price Surge and Supply Tightness in July 2026 Amid Regulatory Challenges
15 hours ago
Copper Scrap Market Sees Price Surge and Supply Tightness in July 2026 Amid Regulatory Challenges
Read More
Copper Scrap Market Sees Price Surge and Supply Tightness in July 2026 Amid Regulatory Challenges
Copper Scrap Market Sees Price Surge and Supply Tightness in July 2026 Amid Regulatory Challenges
15 hours ago
Nuode Reports 113.33% Revenue Growth, Turns Profitable with H1 Net Income of 103M Yuan
Aug 2, 2026 00:48
Nuode Reports 113.33% Revenue Growth, Turns Profitable with H1 Net Income of 103M Yuan
Read More
Nuode Reports 113.33% Revenue Growth, Turns Profitable with H1 Net Income of 103M Yuan
Nuode Reports 113.33% Revenue Growth, Turns Profitable with H1 Net Income of 103M Yuan
Nuode (600110) disclosed its semi-annual report on July 30. H1 revenue was 6.433 billion yuan, up 113.33% YoY;net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 103 million yuan, versus a loss of 72.4329 million yuan in the same period last year, marking a turnaround to profitability YoY; basic earnings per share was 0.0598 yuan.During the reporting period, the supply-demand pattern of the lithium battery copper foil industry experienced a complete reversal:outdated low-end capacity continued to exit the market, the rollout of new capacity in the industry slowed down, and combined with the surge in demand from both power batteries and energy storage, copper foil processing fees bottomed out. Leveraging its differentiated product portfolio of ultra-thin lithium battery copper foil and high-end electronic copper foil, the company successfully achieved a turnaround to profitability, with overall profitability improving significantly QoQ and YoY.
Aug 2, 2026 00:48
South Korea and Chile Sign MOUs to Deepen Lithium and Copper Supply Chain Cooperation
Aug 2, 2026 00:47
South Korea and Chile Sign MOUs to Deepen Lithium and Copper Supply Chain Cooperation
Read More
South Korea and Chile Sign MOUs to Deepen Lithium and Copper Supply Chain Cooperation
South Korea and Chile Sign MOUs to Deepen Lithium and Copper Supply Chain Cooperation
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Chilean President Jose Antonio Kast held a summit in Santiago, and on Thursday the two countries signed five memorandums of understanding, including a mineral resources cooperation document aimed at deepening cooperation in the lithium and copper supply chains.Lee Jae-myung stated that the two countries are "natural and ideal partners" in the field of critical minerals. He pointed out that Chile is the world's largest copper producer and possesses the world's largest lithium reserves, while South Korea has global leading advantages in high-end industries such as semiconductors and power batteries.This mineral cooperation agreement elevates bilateral relevant cooperation to the ministerial level, and plans to expand entire industry chain cooperation for core resources such as lithium and copper, covering information sharing, technology cooperation, and personnel exchanges.
Aug 2, 2026 00:47
SMM Morning Comments (Nov 6): Shanghai base metals performance mixed as US election uncertainty remains - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)