Nickels 250 per cent price spike in little more than 24 hours plunged the industry into chaos, triggering billions of dollars in losses for traders who bet the wrong way and leading the London Metal Exchange (LME) to suspend trading for the first time in three decades. Nickel prices, however, has been moving in an uptrend for a long time. For participants in commodities exchanges, a price rally is not necessarily good news. Others in the market may also push up prices in anticipation of that short covering. Tsingshan started building its short position last year in part because Xiang expected a nascent surge in nickel prices to fade, according to people familiar with the matter. Its not just a casino. Nickel is a raw material that is characterized by exceptional resistance and special properties, thanks to which it has many applications. Inability to deliver the products was a big problem for Tsingshan, the analyst added, noting that the company has nickel iron, stainless steel, and nickel matte but noelectrolytic nickel, which is the type traded on the LME. Tsingshan started building its short position last year in part because Xiang expected a nascent surge in nickel prices to fade, according to people familiar with the matter. Your password has been changed successfully. Glencore. Trading and mining giant Glencore was the dominant holder of nickel in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter. The wild rise of nickel drew comparisons to the short squeezes in meme stocks such as GameStop that gripped retail investors for much of last year. Trading and mining giant Glencore Plc was the dominant holder of nickel in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter. He draws a comparison with Silver Thursday, the day in 1980 when an attempt by the Hunt brothers to corner the silver market came unstuck. The prices that were being seen during that Asian session were becoming disconnected from, I believe, physical reality.. China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) climbed to 52.6 last month, the highest reading since April 2012. It was 5.42 am on March 8 in London when the nickel market broke. Nickel prices had been rising for weeks, amid fears that supplies from Russia the largest exporter of refined nickel would be disrupted if the country invaded Ukraine. . At the time of the LME's trading halt, nickel had gained more than 230% in March. Evaporating liquidity. Qingshan Holding Group,Nickel,Futures Contract, Paris Looms as Europe's Largest Financial Market, French Economy Minister Says, Alibaba, Spain's El Corte Ingles Department Store Ally on Digital Retail, China's GEM to Supply 100,000 Tons of Lithium Battery Materials to Korea's Ecopro, Toshiba Home Appliances Returns to Profit After Midea Takeover, Chairman Says, How AR is Poised to Change Business Forever. Our analysis assumes the development of Onaping Deeps with production commencing in 2021 at a capital cost of $750 million. Beijing is supportive of him, Xiang told contacts recently. Crucially, the decision meant traders wouldnt need to pay margin calls on the basis of the $80,000 nickel price. The discussions are ongoing, and its not clear what stance Tsingshans banks, which include JPMorgan Chase & Co. and China Construction Bank Corp., will take. Trafigura Lines Up Russia Aluminum Deal in Challenge to Glencore. Investors who had booked trades during the chaotic session in the early hours of Tuesday were furious. However, Xiang believed the risks to be manageable, the people said, even as anunidentified nickel stockpilercontrolled at least half of the inventories on the exchange. Many producers, traders, and users of nickel with short positions on the LME were facing margin calls many times larger than they were prepared for. When Norilsk Nickel left the Western markets, Glencore became its main substitute for nonferrous metals. . Shanghais most-traded nickel futures contract soared to CNY228,810 (USD36,235) a tonthe same day, and trading is suspended today. In the short term, apackage of loansfrom Chinese and international banks will help Tsingshan meet its immediate liquidity squeeze. Our fundamental responsibility is market stability, he told Bloomberg TV. For Xiangs big short position, that was painful. Formerly called Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, Vale is a diversified multinational metals and mining company founded in 1942, and headquartered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Four or five of the brokerages that are LME members would have failed, a shock that could have devastated the global metals industry. When prices rose above $20,000 he would consider shorting nickel, the people said, because his production costs in Indonesia were as low as $10,000 a ton. Since 1910, nickel and other metals have been refined, produced and exported from the production plant in Kristiansand. Sulphuric acid. Executives at Tower Research Capital, one of Wall Streets oldest electronic market-makers, reined in its trading activity on the LME and put its membership in the exchange under review. Explore the extraordinary journey of nickel, of nickel sold via our marketing business. Worse, the chaos was spreading to other markets: Zinc prices spiked 15 per cent in a few minutes to a record high, only to collapse again. For the LME, the future isunclear. Short Interest; Premarket Screener . The Nikkelverk Operations. Trafigura Group sold cargoes of nickel it now believes may not have contained any of the metal to buyers including a US trade finance firm and a state-owned Jack Farchy on LinkedIn: Trafigura's Non-Existent Nickel Was Bought by a US Firm Those past scandals forced reforms on the exchange. Feb 2021 - Dec 202111 months. Anglo, which produced 59.3 million tonnes of iron ore last year, aims to halve its Scope 3 indirect emissions by 2040. Certain sections of this system have been patented. Its participants are a mix of the industrial metals companies, which tap the market to offset their price risks, and hedge funds, which use it to speculate. Its unclear whether he will get his way. . Late Tuesday . The LME made a near-unprecedented decision. At that time of day, bleary-eyed traders are typically just glancing at prices as they swig coffee . . The main reason was the short squeeze on the short position of the Chinese bank China Construction Bank. Our marketing business markets nickel and nickel concentrates, as well as by-products and ferronickel. Tsingshan accounted for about half that amount. The difference is that nickel is a commodity that touches the entire global economy. Cobalt. Then came a geopolitical crisis that caught him unawares. 6 kt/a nickel in concentrate). Our positions and operations dont have any problems, Xiang Guangda, who is also the Wenshou-based companys founder, told Yicai Global yesterday. Miners, traders, and manufacturers often use the market to make short betsthat is, to make money when prices fall. One resolution to the situation may be for Glencore and Xiang to strike a deal to use Glencores long positions to cancel out some of Xiangs short. Russia is the worlds third-largest producer of nickel and its largest exporter of refined nickel metalthe type deliverable on the LME. I actually stumbled upon the date, March 8, researching gold and silver, both of which began a severe downtrend on that very date. The LME is now very likely going to die a slow, self-inflicted death through the loss of confidence in it and its products, predicted Thompson in a tweet. Nickel prices usually move a few hundred dollars per tonne in a day. It now operates large nickel production facilities in China and Indonesia. All prices are listed in Australian Dollars. MINK. Worse, the chaos was spreading to other markets: Zinc prices spiked 15% in a few minutes to a record high, only to collapse again. Why bet against nickel when you have a nickel business? The show will focus on global macro issues with a middle eastern context, provide expert analysis of major market moving stories and speak with the biggest newsmakers in the region. The so-called "hold short position" focuses on the word "hold" to hold the price higher, and the ultimate goal is to force Tsingshan Group's 200,000 tons of nickel to sell short positions, and there is no way to go. Vale is the world's largest producer of nickel, one of the most versatile metals in existence. Mark Hansen, chief executive officer of Concord Resources, Help using this website - Accessibility statement. That led to some missteps in Xiangs strategic decisions over his trading exposure, three of the people said. Hansen of Concord Resources argues that financial investors who traded nickel last week should have been prepared for the LME to step in. Last modified on Wed 15 Feb 2023 06.23 EST. Not everyone shared his pessimism about prices. 6W - 9M. 2023 Glacier Media Group, All Rights Reserved. Stephen Engle reports. By now, the entire nickel industry was in crisis. Glencore has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 0.2, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume. Report summary. The tycoon long believed that because he was the worlds biggest player and had ultra-low costs, he could wield unprecedented influence over the nickel market, people familiar with the matter said. This type is different from the mainstream ferro-nickel and nickel pig iron. From a contractual perspective, you may be . The dollar hit a one-week low earlier Wednesday after China's yuan gained. The latest price was A$0.04 (25-minute delay). There are also traders making plans to abandon the LME nickel contract, a move that would reduce market liquidity, making it harder for everyone from miners to car companies to manage their exposure to prices and access financing. this week's short squeeze is nonetheless likely to push . . Glencore plc is a Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland. But the obvious consequence of so much nickel hitting the market, he believed, would be a fall in its price. Xiang isnt just a financial trader making paper bets on price moves. Still, contracts on the LME are backed by physical metal in a network of warehouses around the world, providing a direct link with the real-world metals industry. Harjavalta nickel smelter in Finland (Credit: Boliden). Now the Chinese tycoon known as Big Shot must decide whether to unwind a wager that risks fuelling more dramatic swings in one of the worlds most prized metals. Xiang Guangdas wrong-way bet on nickel futures helped trigger one of the wildest commodity price spikes in history. For the LME to cancel nickel trades between willing buyers and sellers is unforgiveable. Those 18 minutes will haunt me, says the executive, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly. It is believed that Tsingshan has accumulated large short positions in nickel derivatives markets to hedge against possible price . By early this year, it had taken ownership of more than half of the available nickel in LME warehouses. Complete Glencore PLC ADR stock information by Barron's. View real-time GLNCY stock price and news, along with industry-best analysis. Wayne has over 20 years of operational management experience of complex hydrometallurgical plants, specialising in transformation of operational and . We're taking you for a deep dive into the world of copper - a versatile metal and important component for a low-carbon future. EV Nickels stock soars after announcing enormous maiden mineral resource in Ontario, Anglo seeks to invest in start-ups to cut steel CO2 emissions, Agnico Eagle reinvests in Rupert Resources and its Ikkari gold project, Glencore ordered to pay $700 million by US judge in bribery case, https://dtmagazine.com/money724-302022.php#wrap, Musk tamps down speculation that Tesla will mine lithium, Monumental shift in way junior mining stocks are valued is coming, Advance Lithium in joint venture talks with Mexicos national lithium company, Goldman warns carmakers against buying miners: It always end in tears. When it was flying towards $100,000, you could feel the damage, and you knew companies were fighting for their existence, says John Browning, founding partner of brokerageBands Financial Ltd.and a former LME board member. Not everyone shared his pessimism about prices. Sep 2021 - Present1 year 5 months. Trading and mining giant Glencore was the dominant holder of nickel in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter. Yet the day before, the market had started to unravel, with prices rising by astunning66% to $48,078. You have achieved great things in these short 4 years (whilst remaining humble and kind); I am super Congratulations and thank you Aurlien Bouic! If it can weather the current storm, Tsingshan which recorded more than $40 billion in annual revenue over the past two years should be a prime beneficiary of higher nickel prices as the worlds top producer. Xiang was aware of flaws in his strategy, people familiar with the matter said. Nickelcopper ores have been mined there since 1928. As at January 31, 2023 Glencore holds 72,008,404 Common Shares, representing approximately 70.8% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares. Trading and mining giant Glencore was the dominant holder of nickel in recent months, according to people familiar with the matter. Glencore Ordered to Pay $700 Million in US Over Bribery Case (Bloomberg) -- Glencore Plc was ordered by a federal judge in New York to pay $700 million as a criminal punishment for a global bribery scheme orchestrated by the Swiss-based commodities trading and mining giant.Most Read from BloombergElon Musk Regains His Spot as the World's Richest PersonHow to Get a Free Flight to Hong Kong in . Xiang wanted to increase Tsingshans production dramatically by producing so-callednickel mattefor electric vehicle batteries. 92 132 MT. 5 000 MT. Mid Term. Soon Chamberlain and other executives at the exchange began receiving frantic phone calls from LME brokers. And once again, this short squeeze racked up billions in losses for those involved. Baar, Switzerland 29 July 2022. Nickel is mainly used in the production of stainless steel because it improves its strength and resistance to corrosion. A market that many veterans simply describe as "broken." It's been three weeks since nickel was suspended on the London Metal Exchange after a . Xiang didnt believe the rally would last. Credit: INF News.com. Some started hurrying to buy back nickel contracts, sending the price of nickel spiraling ever higher. The LMEs special committee held another call at about 6 a.m. Now they recognized that they had tosuspend trading. They had offset their deals with Tsingshan by placing their own short positions on the LME. Charged with maximising the value of Glencore's physical nickel assets across the global portfolio through supporting collaboration efforts to manage risk and improve operability and performance. (Podcast). Xiang himself had little interest in international news, the people said, and the growing speculation over a possible war was hard to track in China. Massive short positions held by Xiangs Tsingshan Holding Group Co., the worlds largest nickel producer, have gone disastrously awry over the past few days. Massive short positions held by Xiangs Tsingshan Holding Group, the worlds largest nickel producer, have gone disastrously awry over the past few days. Pemex Reports $9.4 Billion Loss as AMLO Fails to Revive Output . Now they recognised that they had to suspend trading. Nickel rocketed to a record high above US$100,000 a tonne on Tuesday before trading was suspended; Tsingshan could have suffered well over US$2 billion of daily losses at the most extreme point of . Some started hurrying to buy back nickel contracts, sending the price of nickel spiralling ever higher. Glencore Nickel. Get in touch with us now. Bloomberg. This was the most disorderly move in a metal Ive seen in my career, says Mark Hansen, chief executive officer of trading houseConcord Resources Ltd.We had a frenzy based on speculation that accelerated on Monday and Tuesday. Tsingshans were even larger, numbering roughly $3 billion, according to a Bloomberg calculation based on the companys total short positionwhich, even after Xiang had closed out a portion of the bet in previous weeks, was over 150,000 tons. To date, the company has sold a tonne of nickel for an average of $ 18,474. Find the latest Glencore plc (GLNCY) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing. Soaring coal and metal prices powered Swiss mining and trading firm Glencore to a net income of $5 billion in 2021, a notable recovery from its $1.9 billion loss in 2020. Futures traded on the London Metal Exchange surged over 250 percent to USD101,365 a ton yesterday from March 7. But its extremely unusual for an exchange to cancel whole sessions of trading after the fact. A Glencore spokesman declined to comment. The Murrin Murrin Mine is a major nickel-cobalt mining operation being conducted in the North Eastern Goldfields, approximately 45 km east of Leonora, Western Australia.The project was initiated as a joint venture between Murrin Murrin Holdings Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anaconda Nickel Limited (whose share was 60%) and Glenmurrin Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore . Xiangs short position has now racked upbillions of dollars in losses. Our marketing business markets nickel and nickel concentrates, as well as by-products and ferronickel. Wenshou-Based companys founder, told Yicai global yesterday help Tsingshan meet its immediate liquidity squeeze our responsibility! Traded on the basis of the Chinese bank China Construction bank, xiang Guangda, who is also Wenshou-based... Of iron ore last year, it had taken ownership of more than 230 % March! Last modified on Wed 15 Feb 2023 06.23 EST Xiangs big short position has now racked upbillions of in. 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