Base Metals and Minerals

Wrap of events affecting the market on Friday night and the weekend and a preview of the week ahead.

After a flat session, Wall Street remains poised just under the top of the long-standing trading range. Dow up 18. (Accessible only for subscribers before 10:15 AEST)

JP Morgan posted a less bad then expected result last night and lit a fire under the US financials sector. Dow up 187. (Accessible only for subscribers before 10:15 AEST)

Several brokers are unsure whether the cost cutting endured by Alumina Ltd will be enough to boost income substantially, as expanding Chinese supply limits price rises.

Word is Saudi Arabia and Russia plan to reach an agreement on oil production before the Doha meeting. Oil and metal prices have jumped as a result. Dow up 164. (Accessible only for subscribers before 10:15 AEST)

Crude inventories; the CESCO conference and the copper outlook; economic data and gold; the outlook for Australian gold stocks.

For the second session in a row, the Dow gave up a 150 point gain to close modestly changed, this time down 20. (Accessible only for subscribers before 10:15 AEST)

Breakdown in mineral sands discipline; support for gold; copper vulnerable to downside; nickel still loss-makiing; Oz iron ore shipments decline; steel margins expand.

Iluka has reduced its zircon pricing for the June quarter, following on from competitor actions, and brokers observe the outlook is weak.

Wrap of events affecting the market on Friday night and the weekend and a preview of the week ahead.