🐂 Not all bull runs are created equal. November’s AI picks include 5 stocks up +20% eachUnlock Stocks

Shanghai steel drops to two-week low on slow demand

Published 02/02/2016, 02:50 pm
Updated 02/02/2016, 03:00 pm
© Reuters.  Shanghai steel drops to two-week low on slow demand

* Dalian iron ore futures slip, Singapore futures up

* Iron ore port stocks in China drop from 8-month high

By Manolo Serapio Jr

MANILA, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Shanghai steel futures fell to a two-week low on Tuesday, pressured by slow Chinese demand as the sector remained oversupplied.

Losses in steel prices risk eroding gains in spot iron ore which jumped to a one-month high on Monday as some cargoes were snapped ahead of next week's Lunar New Year holiday.

The most-traded May rebar on the Shanghai Futures Exchange SRBcv1 was down 1.3 percent at 1,808 yuan ($275) a tonne by midday, after falling as low as 1,801 yuan, its weakest since Jan. 18.

Rebar, used in construction, touched a four-month peak of 1,871 yuan on Jan. 27 as mill shutdowns in China, spurred by weak demand, limited supply. But the price has fallen since with underlying demand still soft, traders and analysts say.

ANZ Bank said the "outlook for steel companies remains bleak amid structural oversupply issues."

China, which produces about half the world's steel, is aiming to slash its production capacity by 100-150 million tonnes to fight a glut as domestic steel consumption shrinks. analysts estimate China's surplus capacity at around 300 million tonnes, equivalent to three times the annual output of No. 2 producer Japan.

Iron ore for immediate delivery to China's Tianjin port .IO62-CNI=SI climbed 2.4 percent to $42.50 a tonne on Monday, its loftiest since Jan. 4, according to The Steel Index (TSI).

Miners sold several cargoes on the globalORE and COREX trading platforms amid strong bids, TSI said.

Inventory of imported iron ore at China's ports dropped to 94.4 million tonnes last week from an eight-month high of 95.35 million tonnes the week before, based on data tracked by consultancy SteelHome. SH-TOT-IRONINV

Despite subdued prices, major iron ore miners in Australia and Brazil will continue to lift output, although global production will grow at a much slower annual average rate of 0.3 percent during 2016-2020 compared to 4 percent over the past five years, according to BMI Research.

May iron ore on the Dalian Commodity Exchange DCIOcv1 was down 0.6 percent at 324 yuan a tonne. Singapore futures 0#SZZF: edged higher.

Rebar and iron ore prices at 0343 GMT

Contract

Last

Change Pct Change SHFE REBAR MAY6

1808

-23.00

-1.26 DALIAN IRON ORE DCE DCIO MAY6

324

-2.00

-0.61 SGX IRON ORE FUTURES FEB

42.87

+0.13

+0.30 THE STEEL INDEX 62 PCT INDEX

42.5

+1.00

+2.41 METAL BULLETIN INDEX

43.02

+1.30

+3.12

Dalian iron ore and Shanghai rebar in yuan/tonne Index in dollars/tonne, show close for the previous trading day ($1 = 6.5780 Chinese yuan)

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.