Scarcity suggest aluminium and zinc premiums to rise

Premiums paid for zinc and aluminum in the U.S. probably will rise in the next few weeks because of the metals’ limited availability in the physical market, said Macquarie Bank Ltd.

Zinc premiums, added to the price of immediate-delivery metal on the London Metal Exchange, more than doubled in the past year to 6 to 7 cents a pound even as inventories swelled, Macquarie analysts including London-based Duncan Hobbs said in a report today