Australia is throwing a lifeline to its under pressure nickel mining sector, but the solution on offer is more of a band aid than the needed major surgery, the carving of the global nickel industry into green and dirty.

BHP's strong revenue growth of 6% was underpinned by higher iron ore and copper prices.

Australian lithium stocks rallied on speculation that CATL had closed its Jianxiawo mine.

Iron ore inventory at major Chinese ports surveyed rose 4% during Lunar New Year holiday.

Increasing funding for battery metal and uranium projects versus gold brings home the global energy transition but big financing deals for pre-production companies have almost disappeared.

Simply put, electrification doesn’t happen without copper, the heartbeat of the global energy economy.

Prices climbed as much as 1.5% to trade above $8,300 a ton on the London Metal Exchange on Thursday.

The industry saw a significant rise in M&A activity across metals and mining companies in 2023 driven by the global energy transition, a theme Fitch Solutions expects to continue.