Daily FNArena News - Commodities

Zinc, copper, and gold were the highlights at the latest Diggers & Dealers fest in Western Australia. Brokers highlight stock preferences.

Price recovery in mineral sands pushed out; zinc moves further into deficit; pressures on coal continue to mount; iron ore stabilises, for now.

Entering the second half of 2014 several commodity analysts have revamped price forecasts with the overall outlook modestly positive, except for coal.

July witnessed a surge in uranium trading volumes as buyers took advantage of lower prices, although oversupply is keeping pricing steady.

A new survey suggests mining leaders are pessimistic while the outlook for base metals, ex copper, is bullish. Geopolitical instability supports gold and palladium while iron ore is re-balancing.

Utilities are beginning to show a little interest in spot uranium purchases while greater term market demand is expected this quarter.

Speculation continues over Indonesia’s metal ore export ban as nickel exports grind to a halt. Iron ore supply pressure is mounting while aluminium markets tighten.

Two Japanese reactors have now passed the strict new safety regulations, opening the way for the first restarts.

Iron ore discounts, miner costs, small Oz resource stocks and the outlook for mineral sands, aluminium and nickel.

Global growth momentum helps base metals but bulks languish; UBS looks ahead to production reports for the Oz energy sector while JP Morgan upgrades oil forecasts.