Zinc

Teck Resources Limited ("Teck") and BASF SE announced at the World Economic Forum today that they have signed a three year agreement to jointly develop innovative and affordable zinc fortification and supplementation solutions, with the goal of reducing zinc deficiency among 100 million people in developing countries by 2015.

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 27, 2012) - Ivanhoe Mines (TSX:IVN)(NYSE:IVN)(NASDAQ:IVN) Deputy Chairman Peter Meredith said today he expected the company's 14-member Board of Directors will continue to maintain a majority of independent directors, in accordance with the December 8, 2010, Heads of Agreement signed by Ivanhoe Mines and Rio Tinto.

RBC Capital Markets forecasts copper demand growth of 3.6% in 2011, 5.5% in 2012, 5.6% in 2013, and trend growth of approximately 4.0% in 2014 and 2015.

Anglo-American in its increasingly acrimonious fight with Codelco on Thursday had to defend itself against what it termed "the criminal accusation" made by the president of the Federation of Copper Workers in Chile who sits on the Chile’s state-owned copper giant board.

With revenues of $60 billion last year and operations at the ends of the earth, few companies are in a better position to take the pulse of the global economy and the resource sector than Caterpillar. But what is it saying about the outlook for 2012?

Zinc may be the black sheep of base metals this year amid expectations that increases in mining capacity will pressure prices. However, the outlook could brighten should some of those expansion plans be put on hold because of weak demand and problems getting project financing. Longer term, analysts expect prices may rise as mines close, shrinking supply.

Copper hit a four-month high Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve pledged to hold interest rates to near zero until the end of 2014.

Peru's Prime Minister said on Tuesday Newmont Mining’s stalled Conga project will be developed as the government could end up with a "huge" compensation payment if the $4.8 billion mine does not go ahead.

World number two miner Rio Tinto has taken a majority stake in Ivanhoe Mines, its partner on the massive Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia, purchasing a 51% interest. A favourite stock of punters, Ivanhoe surrendered 4% in Toronto on Tuesday.