Nickel Prices Surge, Market Sentiment Up; Stainless Steel Spot Prices Lag Despite Futures Gains
[SMM Nickel Flash] Supply side, nickel prices surged on the overnight futures, and the market unanimously raised quotes, with active sentiment from upstream to hold prices firm. Demand side, stainless steel futures also moved higher, but spot market prices in China remained suppressed by end-users, and steel mills currently had limited acceptance of NPI prices. Overall, the surge in nickel prices drove high-grade NPI prices stronger, but upside room may be limited under end-user suppression.