BHP expected to catch up on iron ore shipments

Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting lost Tuesday an appeal to retain its share in the touted Rhodes Ridge iron ore project in Australia’s Pilbara, forecast to be worth billions once developed.

Imagine for a moment that you have a credit card with a limit of a few trillion dollars but with one caveat: you need to use those funds exclusively to provide for your family. It sounds easy, until you realize your “family” is 1.1 billion people...The Chinese government is in a similar position.

Despite setbacks in the global economy, sub-Saharan Africa is expected to grow at 4.8% in this year, broadly unchanged from the 4.9% growth rate registered in 2011 and largely on track, according to the World Bank’s latest report.

The Chinese yuan hit historic highs against the US dollar on the inter-bank spot market on Monday, rising to RMB6.2371 per dollar […]

In September Chinese mines already churned out a whopping 20% more ore compared to last year. There are also 66 new mines producing 490 million tonnes in development. That at a time when steel output is growing at 1.7%.

Even shareholders choking on $200 million of management bonuses, may have to okay the compensation if they want the deal to go ahead. But Xstrata may have other options beside Glencore.

The opportunities that lie ahead will be volumetric as opposed to price-based

Where there is smoke… After several reports of Anglo American’s (LON:AAL) shareholders disappointment at both the company’s overall performance and her CEO, Cynthia Carroll, she has finally left the company.

Iron ore's bounce comes as signs appear that the Chinese government may have succeeded in orchestrating a soft landing for the world's second largest economy.