Commodities, Business & Shipping

Welcome to the Precious Metals Bug Forums

Welcome to the PMBug forums - a watering hole for folks interested in gold, silver, precious metals, sound money, investing, market and economic news, central bank monetary policies, politics and more. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Why not register an account and join the discussions? When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no Google ads, market data/charts, access to trade/barter with the community and much more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

Anas Alhajji | Investing In 2024, Suez Canal, Oil Demand, Gas/LNG, COP28, EV, Latin America, Nuclear​

Jan 1, 2024
Anas F. Alhajji is an energy expert, researcher, author, and speaker. He advises governments, financial institutions and investors on various energy market issues. 56 minutes long. Nothing to see, can listen in one tab, play around the forum in a different tab.


00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Red Sea And Suez Canal
04:05 - Oil & LNG Markets In 2023 and 2024
15:02 - Russian Economy, Sanctions, And Oil&Gas Trade
27:20 - Common Sense, COP28, Climate Change Ahead
35:05 - How Sustainable Are Electric Vehicles?
40:24 - How Will Higher Interest Rates Affect Energy Stocks?
43:08 - Should We Re-Design The Grid?
43:53 - Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil, Argentina
50:12 - Nuclear, What To Do?
53:05 - How To Invest In 2024
55:32 - Follow Anas Alhajji On Substack

Follow Anas on Substack: https://substack.com/@anasalhajjieoa
Follow Anas on X: / anasalhajji
 

Morning Bid: Sobering start for 2024 markets​

January 3, 20246:05 AM EST Updated an hour ago

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

A slight recalibration of interest rate cut hopes, background geopolitical jitters, a big week for U.S. labor stats and heavy new year corporate debt sales all combined to blow froth off year-end markets as 2024 splutters into action.

The lack of any consensus about just why the first trading sessions of the new year were so downbeat suggests no one driver and points more to a marginal reset of pre-holiday euphoria as investors seek out new themes and narratives.

Even though U.S. interest rate futures have pulled back a bit from their more aggressive expectations of Federal Reserve rate cutting this year, there's still 145 basis points of easing priced by the end of the year and an 80% chance a first quarter point cut comes in March.

Whether or not that's still overblown will be informed by the release later today of minutes from the last Fed meeting that lit the touch-paper for the year rally. Any sense in there that markets over-interpreted policymaker signals could dampen the mood.

More:

 

US Merchant Marine Series (Episode 1) - What is the Merchant Marine?​

Jan 3, 2024

15:35

- Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association https://www.mebaunion.org/
- International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots https://bridgedeck.org/
- American Maritime Officer shttps://www.amo-union.org/
- Seafarers International Union https://www.seafarers.org/
- Sailors Union of the Pacific https://www.sailors.org/
- United States Merchant Marine Academy https://www.usmma.edu/
- California Maritime https://www.csum.edu/
- Great Lakes Maritime Academy https://www.nmc.edu/maritime/
- Maine Maritime Academy https://mainemaritime.edu/
- Massachusetts Maritime Academy https://www.maritime.edu/
- Maritime College - State University of New York https://www.sunymaritime.edu/
- Texas A&M University at Galveston https://www.tamug.edu/corps/index.html
 

Morning Bid: Fed minutes calm the horses​

January 4, 2024 6:09 AM EST Updated 29 min ago

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

A relatively soothing bond market reading of the Federal Reserve's latest meeting minutes has helped calm the new year horses, but edgy geopolitics and oil price gains still rankle.

Even though Wall St stock indexes (.SPX), (.IXIC) clocked a second straight day of hefty losses on Wednesday - led this time by the biggest one-day drop in small cap stocks (.RUT) since the March regional bank crunch - bonds rallied on the minutes.

More:

 

Weekly iScrap Report: Navigating Metals in 2024’s Global Theatre​

Dec 3, 2024

17:15

Check Scrap Prices: https://iScrapApp.com/ - In our first iScrap Report of 2024, we delve into the unfolding scenarios in the global metal markets. From copper's fluctuating prices to the steady rise in steel and the challenges faced in lithium recycling for EVs, we cover all the key developments. The report also discusses the dim outlook for catalytic converters as the world pivots towards electric vehicles and how political and global events are shaping the metal industry. Join us as we explore these dynamics and offer insights for navigating through a year filled with opportunities and challenges.

Read more: https://iscrapapp.com/blog/weekly-scr...
 

The Third Revolution

In the beginning, there was sail.Giant wooden ships plied their trade along the trade winds. This began around 3,000 BC and continued happily through...
maritime-executive.com
 

Morning Bid: Fed fizz goes a bit flat​

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

If the Federal Reserve is now wary of a sudden fracture in the U.S. labor market, it won't be unduly alarmed by what it's seen of December employment so far.

With Friday's payrolls report looming over New Year markets all week - pointing to the first weekly loss in global equities (.MIWD00000PUS) since October - most other readouts of U.S. hiring last month looked to still be in rude health.

More:

 

World food price index ends 2023 some 10% below 2022 levels​

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The United Nations food agency's world price index ended last year about 10% below its 2022, with values in December also down from the previous month, helping further ease concerns over global food price inflation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally traded food commodities, averaged 118.5 points in December, down 1.5% from November and 10.1% below December 2022 levels.

More:

 

Gold Price RECAP January 1-5

Happy Friday, traders. Welcome to our weekly market wrap, where we take a look back at these last five trading days with a focus on the market news, economic data, and headlines that had the most impact on gold prices and other key correlated assets—and may continue to into the future.
goldprice.org
 

History Is Telling Us Economic, Political and Social Chaos Are Real Possibility.​

Jan 7, 2024

1:17:05

*Best bet is to listen in one tab, play around on the forum in a different tab.
 
Interesting, but take it fwiw and dyodd.

How Yemeni rebels are wrecking the global economy​

Jan 8, 2024
Yemen's #Houthi rebels have strangled one of the most strategic ocean waterways for international trade. Now, the world’s largest shipping companies have stopped using the #Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

15:51
 
Could Direct Lithium Extraction Be a Game-Changer?

High in the Andes mountains where the borders of Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile intersect, white expanses of salt stretch for thousands of kilometers. Under these flats lie reservoirs of brine that contain upwards of 58 percent of the world’s lithium.

For decades, producers have extracted that lithium by pumping the water up to the surface and letting it evaporate until the lithium salts become concentrated enough to filter out. The process takes 12 to 18 months, leaving behind piles of waste containing other metals. It also evaporates nearly 2 million liters of local water resources, harming indigenous communities.

With the EV and energy-storage markets accelerating, demand for lithium will increase over 20 times by 2040, according to CleanTech Lithium. To keep up, many companies are now developing processes to chemically or physically filter out lithium from brines and inject the brine back underground. These direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies take hours instead of months and could double the production of lithium from existing brine operations. Much as shale extraction did for oil, DLE is a “potential game-changing technology for lithium supply,” because it could unlock new sources of lithium, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs. But in contrast to shale’s fracking risks, DLE brings environmental benefits, reducing land and water use, and waste.

More:

Could Direct Lithium Extraction Be a Game-Changer?

New technologies double production while reducing environmental damage
spectrum.ieee.org
 

Morning Bid: Japan shines as Wall St eyes CPI, bitcoin swings​

January 10, 20246:12 AM EST Updated 8 min ago

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

Roaring Japanese stocks at 21st century highs shone in an otherwise subdued day for world markets, with Wall St bracing for Thursday's critical inflation update and bitcoin swinging wildly on statements from a seemingly hacked SEC account.

With most of the rest of Asia's stock markets under a cloud, and China's relentless declines (.CSI300) continuing ahead of the weekend elections in Taiwan and amid property sector woes, the Nikkei 225's (.N225) latest surge to 34-year highs was an eye-catching outlier.

More:

 

Davos 2024: Global elite gather against WEF's most complex backdrop so far​

January 9, 20241:32 PM EST Updated 19 hours ago

NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French President Emmanuel Macron and key Middle East leaders are slated to attend next week's World Economic Forum, putting talks to end wars in Gaza and Ukraine at the top of the agenda for the global elite.

The 54th annual WEF gathering in the Swiss ski resort of Davos will occur against its most complicated geopolitical backdrop to date, its president Borge Brende said on Tuesday.

A challenging global economic picture, with shifting interest rate policies and rising debt, will also confront the central bankers, financiers and business leaders attending.

A key closed-door session addressing this will be led by the chief executives at British-based bank Barclays (BARC.L) and Canadian life insurer Manulife Financial Corp (MFC.TO), according to a copy of the agenda obtained by Reuters.

 

Red Sea Convoy Clash: US Vessels Attacked | Iranian Spy Ship | Will China Shield You?​

Jan 10, 2024

In this episode, Sal Mercogliano - maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner - discusses the battle between the Houthi and US and Royal Navy forces of Operation Prosperity Guardian on Jan 9, 2024. A first-hand report of the battle, the role of an Iranian spy ship, and how China is promoting their flag as a defense.

17:40

00:00 Introduction
01:40 Convoy Battle of January 9
04:00 Where American Ships Targeted?
05:34 Iranian Base/Spy Ship Used to Target Ships?
07:47 Embarkation of Private Armed Security Detachments
09:22 View Of the Convoy Battle!
13:56 China Will Defend You
15:05 Conclusion - Asymmetric Warfare

- Greyhound Day: World War II Combat Tactics Return To The Red Sea https://gcaptain.com/greyhound-day-na...
 

Morning Bid: Inflation tests market thesis, bitcoin gets ETF nod​

January 11, 20246:07 AM EST Updated 26 min ago

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan

If the aggressive interest rate easing markets have priced for 2024 is to ring true - against what Federal Reserve officials are currently signaling - then days like today will have to come good.

Despite excitement around 34-year highs for outperforming Japanese stocks (.N225) and U.S. regulators finally approving exchange traded funds to track bitcoin , the release of the critical U.S. consumer price inflation report for last month dominates the rest of Thursday.

More:

 

"Weekly iScrap Report: 2024’s Metal Market Forecast Amid Global Shifts"​

19:03

Check Scrap Prices: https://iScrapApp.com/ - In our first iScrap Report of 2024, we delve into the unfolding scenarios in the global metal markets. From copper's fluctuating prices to the steady rise in steel and the challenges faced in lithium recycling for EVs, we cover all the key developments. The report also discusses the dim outlook for catalytic converters as the world pivots towards electric vehicles and how political and global events are shaping the metal industry. Join us as we explore these dynamics and offer insights for navigating through a year filled with opportunities and challenges.

Read more: https://iscrapapp.com/blog/weekly-scr...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…