SMM Daily Comments (Jun 5): Base Metals Mostly Fell, Ferrous Metals Bucked the Trend to Surge, Oil Gained Further on Saudi Arabia Output Cuts in July

Published: Jun 05, 2023 18:01 (GMT+8)
Source: SMM
Crude oil rose today. As of 15:01 CST today, WTI oil and Brent oil rose 1.48% and 1.38% respectively. The U.S. Dollar index rose 0.14% as of 15:01.

Crude oil rose today. As of 15:01 CST today, WTI oil and Brent oil rose 1.48% and 1.38% respectively. The U.S. Dollar index rose 0.14% as of 15:01.

Saudi Arabia announced it would implement an additional cut of 1 million barrels per day in July, bringing its output down to 9 million barrels per day.

Recently, the speeches of Fed officials have been divided, although the growth rate of non-agricultural employment in the United States accelerated in May after seasonal adjustment, marking the largest increase since January 2023, which shows that the US labour market is quite resilient. However, the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 3.7%, the highest in seven months, raising the possibility that the Fed will pause interest rate hikes.

As of the closing of the intraday trading, most SHFE base metals prices fell, and only SHFE lead rose 0.03%. SHFE nickel fell 1.76%, SHFE aluminum dropped 1.71%, SHFE tin fell 1.2%, SHFE zinc dipped 0.99%, and SHFE copper fell 0.21%.

For ferrous metals, only stainless steel fell 0.27%. Iron ore rose 2.15%, rebar gained 2.1%, hot-rolled coil jumped 1.98%, coke rose 1.89%, and coking coal rose 0.28%.

As of 15:05, all LME metals went down, with LME nickel down 1.41%, LME zinc down 1.17%, LME aluminium down 0.75%, LME lead down 0.42%, LME tin down 0.35%, and LME copper down 0.21%.

In terms of precious metals, SHFE gold and silver fell 1.28% and 1.34% respectively. As of 15:07, COMEX gold and silver fell 0.56% and 1.08% respectively.

More popular news:

Commodity Price Bubble Finally Burst, but Metals Demand Will Surge

Glencore to Massively Expand Copper Capacity

SMM Daily Comments (Jun 2): All Metals Closed Higher with SHFE Nickel Leading Gains, Coke Surged

SMM Daily Comments (Jun 1): Base Metals Mostly Rose with SHFE Aluminium Surging, Ferrous Metals Rose across the board, Iron Ore Skyrocketed

SMM Indonesia Nickel and Cobalt Industry Chain Conference: Global Nickel & Cobalt Supply and Demand Prospect, Impact from NEV Development

Commerzbank Lowers Price Forecast for Copper, Aluminium, Zinc and Nickel for 2023 and 2024

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
Ghana draft bill proposes state special share and shorter mining leases
16 hours ago
Ghana draft bill proposes state special share and shorter mining leases
Read More
Ghana draft bill proposes state special share and shorter mining leases
Ghana draft bill proposes state special share and shorter mining leases
[SMM Gold Flash] A draft mining bill reviewed by Reuters on 30 September would let Ghana’s mines minister require companies to issue the state a free special share with consent rights over major transactions. It would retain the existing 10% free-carried state interest and limit mining leases to 15 years or the projected mine life, whichever is shorter. The draft would also allow future rules requiring local processing and restricting exports of unprocessed concentrates. None of these proposals has been enacted; Reuters did not establish when the draft was prepared. For Ghana’s gold miners, the proposed rights and shorter leases could affect financing, valuations and renewal decisions. Under the draft, existing rights holders seeking renewal would receive priority consideration for equivalent licences. Mining companies expect further consultation before parliamentary debate, Reuters reported. The final wording and timing remain uncertain.
16 hours ago
PGMs: Independent tests advance platinum and palladium battery technology
17 hours ago
PGMs: Independent tests advance platinum and palladium battery technology
Read More
PGMs: Independent tests advance platinum and palladium battery technology
PGMs: Independent tests advance platinum and palladium battery technology
[SMM PGM Flash] Platinum Group Metals said on 1 October that independent testing by the Battery Innovation Center had validated its Lion Battery subsidiary’s platinum- and palladium-based electrodes in prototype lithium-sulphur cells. Compared with cells without the catalysts, the prototypes showed better capacity and rate capability, with palladium-rich formulations performing best overall. Platinum Group and Valterra Platinum, which own Lion 52% and 48% respectively, have approved funding for the next phase. The result offers a possible new use for PGMs beyond vehicle exhaust catalysts, but remains a prototype milestone. Lion plans to make and test pouch cells, refine the catalysts and assess applications including drones. Commercial performance and demand for significant PGM volumes have yet to be established. The work is relevant to Southern African suppliers: Valterra produces PGMs in South Africa and Zimbabwe, while Platinum Group is developing South Africa’s Waterberg project.
17 hours ago
Sibanye reaches East Boulder wage agreement; separate US strike continues
Oct 01, 2026 16:45 (GMT+8)
Sibanye reaches East Boulder wage agreement; separate US strike continues
Read More
Sibanye reaches East Boulder wage agreement; separate US strike continues
Sibanye reaches East Boulder wage agreement; separate US strike continues
[SMM PGM Flash] Sibanye-Stillwater announced on 30 September that workers at its East Boulder platinum and palladium mine in Montana had ratified a collective agreement with the United Steelworkers. The deal runs retroactively from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2029, with a 4.5% wage increase in year one, the greater of 3.5% or CPI in year two and the greater of 3.0% or CPI in year three. Strike action at the separate Stillwater East mine and Columbus metallurgical facility continues, the company said. The East Boulder settlement fixes part of the labour-cost path for Sibanye’s US PGM business and supports its planned shift towards more mechanised mining and team-based incentives. It does not resolve the other strike or demonstrate a recovery in output; the company disclosed no revised production guidance in this release.
Oct 01, 2026 16:45 (GMT+8)