Posts by Frik Els:

Copper price extends recovery after hitting a two-month low

Acid test: IEA warns copper supply outlook has “worsened considerably”

Over a seventh of the world's copper mine output is now hostage to a sulphuric acid market thrown into chaos by the Middle East conflict and Beijing's export ban.

Frik Els | July 16, 2026 | 3:08 pm

Copper price: BMI hikes forecasts – structural deficits to bring $17,000 next decade

BMI's upgraded 2026 outlook still sits below consensus but from 2028 the Fitch unit out-bulls Wall Street, with deficits widening every year to nearly 1.5 million tonnes seen driving copper to $17,000 a tonne by 2035.

Frik Els | July 16, 2026 | 10:55 am

CHART: Mining vs AI – Nvidia sneezes, sheds five BHPs

Nvidia lost a trillion dollars this quarter and briefly traded like a value stock. The world's 50 biggest miners, all $2.19 trillion of them, have looked like ones for years.

Frik Els | July 13, 2026 | 6:41 pm

Gold price loses its grip: World’s 50 biggest mining companies shed $228 billion in Q2

Gold's slide back below $4,000 an ounce wipes out most of mining's 2026 gains, but the diversified giants – led by a resurgent BHP – are staging a comeback.

Frik Els | July 10, 2026 | 8:22 pm

First Quantum Minerals Kansanshi smelter in Zambia

Macquarie says copper price rally still running ahead of reality

Copper price is approaching $14,000 again, but copper stockpiles – already at unprecedented levels – continue to build globally.

Frik Els | July 9, 2026 | 11:34 am

Mining’s nuclear reality check: SMRs are still not on miners’ shopping lists

Small and micro modular reactors are at the very bottom on miners’ low-carbon energy plans. That is striking given the hype around SMRs, the AI-driven nuclear revival and the increasingly bullish outlook for uranium.

Frik Els | June 18, 2026 | 10:30 am

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Frik Els , Editor