The objective basis of the price difference between Lunni and Ferro-Nickel

Published: Dec 2, 2020 11:08

伦镍与镍铁存在价差,价差存在的原因主要包括3点:

Lenny refers to the London Metal Exchange nickel futures contract, the subject matter is nickel with a nickel content of more than 99.9% (including nickel beans, nickel plates, nickel balls, etc.), as shown in the following figure:

The Ferro Nickel described in this article refers to a bulk object with a nickel content of 10% Mur15% and an iron content of more than 85%, as shown in the following figure:

The metal nickel of the subject matter of Lunni is used in stainless steel, non-ferrous alloy, superalloy, electroplating, battery, etc.; among them, non-ferrous alloy and superalloy are used in high-precision fields, which are profitable and belong to price-insensitive industries; ferronickel is basically 100% used in stainless steel and belongs to price-sensitive industries.

Application field of Lunni

The price regional attribute of Lunni is outside China, and the domestic metal nickel is mainly reflected by the nickel contract of the previous period. The essence of the regional attribute reflected by the Ferro-nickel price in this paper is China. Although the ferronickel producers come from China and Indonesia, the stainless steel made by them is basically used in China or exported to China.

Due to the three core reasons mentioned above, although the prices of Lunni and Ferro-nickel have the same trend, there are differences in prices. Take the average price from 2019 to October 2020 as an example, the average price of Lunni is $13628 / ton, and the average price of Ferro-nickel is $12958 / ton, with a price difference of $670 / ton.

Lunni has a financial attribute, and the monthly price fluctuation is affected not only by supply and demand, but also by capital sentiment; Nickel has no delivery contract, and the price trend is mainly affected by supply and demand factors.

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 Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
Apr 3, 2026 19:34
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
Read More
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
High-Grade NPI Smelters Face Profit Pressure Amid Flat Raw Material Prices and Limited Nickel Ore Decline
[SMM Nickel Flash News] Based on the cash cost of high-grade NPI calculated using nickel ore prices from 25 days earlier, profits at high-grade NPI smelters came under pressure during the week, with the sector as a whole remaining in a state of losses or marginal profitability. It is expected that next week, prices of auxiliary materials on the raw material side may remain flat, while the decline in nickel ore prices will likely be limited. High-grade NPI prices will still be under pressure amid back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, and smelter profits will be unlikely to see any significant improvement.
Apr 3, 2026 19:34
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Apr 3, 2026 19:31
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Read More
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
Refined Nickel Prices Decline, High-Grade NPI Discount Narrows; Downward Trend Expected to Continue
[SMM Nickel Flash] This week, the price center of refined nickel moved lower, while high-grade NPI prices remained stable. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel narrowed to 262.4 yuan/nickel unit. High-grade NPI prices were expected to remain under pressure next week, while refined nickel prices were expected to continue their downward trend. The average discount of high-grade NPI against refined nickel was expected to continue narrowing, and the driver for conversion of NPI to high-grade nickel matte weakened.
Apr 3, 2026 19:31
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
Apr 3, 2026 19:30
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
Read More
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
SMM Nickel Flash: High-Grade NPI Prices Drop, Market Enters Negotiation Phase
[SMM Nickel Flash] The average SMM price of 10-12% high-grade NPI fell WoW by 1 yuan/nickel unit to 1,082.5 yuan/nickel unit (ex-factory, tax included), while the average price of Indonesia's NPI FOB index fell WoW by $0.02/nickel unit to $136.58/nickel unit. The high-grade NPI market generally remained stable, and after the transaction center stabilized, the market entered a state of back-and-forth negotiations between upstream and downstream, with prices under pressure in the short term.
Apr 3, 2026 19:30
The objective basis of the price difference between Lunni and Ferro-Nickel - Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)