Excess Supply May Limit the Rise of Asian Nickel Prices in the Third Quarter" The upside potential for Asian nickel prices in the third quarter is likely to be limited due to weak downstream demand for nickel-manganese-cobalt batteries and stainless steel, coupled with rising primary nickel production, resulting in weak market fundamentals. Jason Sappor, Senior Analyst for Metals and Mining Research at S&P Global Commodity Insights, said, "We expect weak fundamentals in the global primary nickel market, which is emphasized by our forecast that total primary nickel inventories [measured in weeks of consumption] will reach a four-year high in 2024." (WenHua Finance)