The View from England: China analysts remain in the dark

Coal consumption is on the rise and will remain roughly stable over the next five years, the International Energy Agency forecasts.

Five metals fell by 13 percent or more, led by zinc, which lost more than 20 percent.

If prices come down, we might see some buying because both the new year and the Chinese new year are coming up.

The deal is to supply 15 million tonnes of nickel ore over a period of five to eight years, beginning March 2020.

Often cited as a market indicator for economic health, the metal has been under pressure since the summer, threatening to unwind a three-year rally.

Mining companies across the globe now consider the risk of losing their licence to operate as the biggest risk to their businesses in the next two years

Global capacity utilisation in the steel sector has risen to 76% this year from 73% last year, indicating excess capacity in the sector is shrinking.

Supply scarcity and the resulting price volatility are the two biggest hurdles to vanadium's potential bright electric future.

The premiums, paid on top of benchmark three-month London Metal Exchange (LME) prices, fell 10.7% from Friday's levels to $62.50 a tonne, the lowest since June 2017.