On the macro aspect, U.S. retail sales rose 0.7% in September, beating expectations of 0.30% and surpassing the previous value of 0.60%. US economic data once again exceeded expectations and reflects that consumer spending intent in the current US market remains strong. The probability of the Fed raising interest rates in December has surged to 43%, while the US dollar index saw a spike followed by a retreat. Additionally, due to escalating geopolitical conflicts, investors sought safety in the US dollar and gold, causing both their prices to rise, while commodities faced pressure. Looking at the fundamentals, on the supply side, new electrowinning nickel production capacity came online this month, and the current pure nickel production is still in the ramp-up phase. On the import side, due to the ongoing substitution of imported nickel plates in the domestic market, the continuous reduction in overseas nickel plate imports persists. On the demand side, there was a decline in overall demand last week, mainly due to reduced downstream orders and pre-holiday inventory build-up. In the alloy sector, civilian alloy orders remain weak, relying on military alloy orders to support demand. In the stainless steel sector, due to reduced production in the 300 series, the 316 series saw the biggest decrease in output, and this is expected to continue until November, leading to a sustained reduction in demand for pure nickel. In summary, considering the current weak fundamentals and macro factors, it is expected that nickel prices will remain weak but stable this week.


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