Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 3:16 PM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
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Esports is about to become a $1 billion industry, and Asia is at the heart of its wild growth
The electronic sports sector has grown massively in recent years and is expected to turn into a billion-dollar industry by the end of 2019.
CNBC’s Uptin Saiidi visited an annual gaming festival in Hong Kong where tens of thousands of excited fans eagerly watch players compete for the ultimate title.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 11:08 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Identified spherical graphite production as a key waypoint in plans to supply graphite anodes for Electric Vehicles (EVs) Li-ion battery megafactories
“We are at the beginning of the battery materials bull market with 91 Lithium-ion mega-factories built or to be built worldwide.
(Vancouver, British-Columbia) August 13, 2019– Lomiko Metals Inc. (TSX-V: LMR, OTC: LMRMF, FSE: DH8C)(Lomiko or the “Companyâ€) has identified spherical graphite production as a key waypoint in plans to supply graphite anodes for Electric Vehicles (EVs) Li-ion battery megafactories in the North American market discussed in a July 16th, 2019 release. Testing for spherical graphite is to be included in a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) which is planned for the La Loutre graphite project located in Quebec, Canada. The development of a strategy that identifies a way to create value-added products is necessary to establish a long-term, profitable business model prior to extensive capital outlay is crucial to the success of the company.
A.
Paul Gill, CEO states, “We are at the beginning of the battery
materials bull market with 91 Lithium-ion mega-factories built or to be
built worldwide. However, potential North
American Suppliers of graphite materials are facing investor skepticism
because graphite materials coming from African mines such as Syrah
Resources are satisfying Chinese graphite anode demand at present. Lomiko
sees an opportunity in creating a stable and integrated North American
value chain for North American EV manufacturers to African graphite or
Chinese anodes which are susceptible to political strife or trade wars.â€
Graphite Sector Analysis
The
price for 95% C (purity), 15 microns Spherical Graphite is $2,700-2,800
USD/tonne, far above the price of other forms of graphite as indicated
by the Industrial Minerals. Lomiko’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) will include costs and the potential market for this key product. In
order to start the PEA, Lomiko must first deliver its second resource
prepared in compliance with NI 43-101 Regulations from La Loutre.
Industrial
Minerals indicates China imported 21,486 tonnes of flake graphite in
June 2019, 14,864 tonnes came from Mozambique, accounting for 70% of
total Chinese imports. The principal source of
graphite flake in Mozambique is Syrah Resources, which primarily
produces 94% C, -100 mesh material. Increased exports from Mozambique
has weighed on the market since Syrah began commercial production at the
start of this year. June’s import volumes into China were the highest
since at least January 2017.
In
the first half of this year, China imported 105,462 tonnes of flake
graphite in response to the healthy development of the lithium-ion anode
industry in China.
At
least half of total imported flake graphite was used in the anode
industry, with the refractory sector the second largest consumer,
according to market sources.
The
use of large flake graphite as a refractory (heat-resistant) material
began before 1900 with the graphite crucible used to hold molten metal.
In the mid-1980s, the carbon-magnesite brick became important, and a bit
later alumina-graphite material. Graphite blocks are also used in parts of blast furnace linings where the high thermal conductivity of the graphite is critical.
Graphite electrodes are another long-term market for natural flake graphite. Graphite
conductors which release electric energy in the form of an electric
arc, are used to heat and melt the steel scraps in an electric arc
furnace. They are currently the only products with high electrical
conductivity and are able to maintain extremely high heat generation in
this demanding environment. With the growing demand for quality steel in
the aerospace, automotive and electronics industries, graphite
electrodes are also becoming increasingly popular.
For more information on Lomiko Metals, review the website at www.lomiko.com, contact A. Paul Gill at 604-729-5312 or email: [email protected].
On Behalf of the Board,
“A. Paul Gillâ€
Chief Executive Officer
We
seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation
Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX
Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of
this release
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:45 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
Spyder Cannabis (SPDR:TSXV) went public just a couple of months ago and hit the ground running with 5 operating Canadian retail locations – and a 6th one on the way via an 8,000 sq ft super store in Alberta.  Most companies would be ecstatic to have this number of locations – but Spyder just announced a major move into the United States, with a 5 location deal for boutique stores up and down the US Eastern seaboard. The news gets better. If all goes well with these 5 locations, the US outlet partner has a total of 39 locations across 20 states for Spyder to grow into to.
Spyder Cannabis may have just gone public but they are making big moves into the highly coveted retail space for marijuana, CBD and Hemp products, including carrying their own brands within their stores.
Grab your favourite cold summer beverage and watch this interview with CEO, Dan Pelchovitz.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:59 AM on Tuesday, August 13th, 2019
SPONSOR: Labrador Gold – Two successful gold explorers lead the way in the Labrador gold rush targeting the under-explored gold potential of the province. Exploration has already outlined district scale gold on two projects, including over a 40km strike length of the Florence Lake greenstone belt, one of two greenstone belts covered by the Hopedale Project. Click Here for More Info
At all-time highs in six of the world’s top currencies
Gold is up 25% in sterling; 22% in the yuan; 21.5% in euros; 19.7% in Australian dollars; 18% in rupee; 13% in Canadian dollars and 12% in Japanese yen
The
charts posted immediately below tell one of the quiet, but perhaps most
important stories unfolding in the world of high international finance.
Gold has appreciated sharply in the currencies of all of the world’s
top economies. In five of the top eight economies – the United Kingdom,
Japan, Canada, Australia, and India – it is priced at all-time highs.
In short, as currencies race for the bottom, gold is racing to the top.
Investors everywhere are moving to insulate their portfolios against the
combined threats of recession, plummeting yields, currency
depreciation, and stock market instability. An over-arching nemesis not
likely to relinquish its place any time soon has unleashed those four
horsemen – the burgeoning trade and currency war.
Gold is up 25% in sterling; 22% in the yuan; 21.5% in euros; 19.7% in Australian dollars; 18% in rupee; 13% in Canadian dollars and 12% in Japanese yen. It is up sharply against a long list of emerging country currencies as well. By way of perspective, gold is up 16% in U.S. dollars thus far in 2019. “A host of global factors mean gold’s price is set to maintain its strength at least for the next six to 12 months,†said Howie Lee, an economist at Singapore’s Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, in a recent CNBC interview. “The world right now is in a precarious state and gold is due to benefit from this situation,†With the world – from Asia to Europe, the United States and a long list of emerging countries – now acutely attuned to gold ownership, it might not be long until we begin to see strains on the limited physical supplies.Â
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:58 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Gratomic Inc. (TSX-V: GRAT) Advanced Materials company focused on mine to market commercialization of graphite products, most notably high value graphene based components for a range of mass market products. Collaborating with Perpetuus, Gratomic will use Aukam graphite to manufacture graphene products for commercialization on an industrial scale. Click Here for More Info
Nanopore membranes have generated interest in biomedical research because they help researchers investigate individual molecules – atom by atom – by pulling them through pores for physical and chemical characterization
Researchers have not yet produced a membrane with spiral defects in the laboratory, but that task may be easier than trying to rid a graphene membrane of the current molecule-immobilizing step defects
Researchers at the University of Illinois examined how tiny defects in graphene membranes, formed during fabrication, could be used to improve molecule transport. They found that the defects make a big difference in how molecules move along a membrane surface. Instead of trying to fix these flaws, the team set out to use them to help direct molecules into the membrane pores.
Nanopore membranes have generated interest in biomedical research because they help researchers investigate individual molecules – atom by atom – by pulling them through pores for physical and chemical characterization. This technology could ultimately lead to devices that can quickly sequence DNA, RNA or proteins.
In
2014, University of Illinois physics professor Aleksei Aksimentiev and
graduate student Manish Shankla demonstrated a graphene membrane that
controlled a molecule’s movement through a nanopore by means of
electrical charge. They discovered that once the molecules are on the
surface of the membrane, it is very difficult to get them to shuffle
into the membrane’s pores because molecules like to adhere to the
surface.
While on sabbatical at Delft University of Technology in
the Netherlands, Aksimentiev found that DNA tends to accumulate and
stick along the edges of fabrication-formed defects that occur as linear
steps spanning across the membrane’s surface. The Illinois team’s goal
was to find a way to use these flaws to direct the stuck molecules into
the nanopores, as a principle that can also apply to the delivery,
sorting and analysis of biomolecules.
To refine and confirm their
observations, the researchers used the Blue Waters supercomputer at the
National Center for Supercomputing Applications at Illinois and the
XSEDE supercomputer to model the system and molecule movement scenarios
at the atomic level.
“Molecular dynamics simulations let us watch what is happening while simultaneously measuring how much force is required to get the molecule to clear a step,” Aksimentiev said. “We were surprised to find that it takes less force to move a molecule down a step than up. Although it may seem intuitive that gravity would make stepping down easier, it is not the case here because gravity is negligible at the nanoscale, and the force required to move up or down should be the same.”
Aksimentiev
said team members originally thought they could use concentric defect
patterns that form around the pores to force the molecules down, but
their simulations showed the molecules congregating along the edges of
the steps. That is when it dawned on them: A defect with edges that
spiral into a pore, combined with an applied directional force, would
give the molecule no other option than to go into the pore – kind of
like a drain.
“This way, we can drop molecules anywhere on the
membrane covered with these spiral structures and then pull the
molecules into a pore,” he said.
The researchers have not yet
produced a membrane with spiral defects in the laboratory, but that task
may be easier than trying to rid a graphene membrane of the current
molecule-immobilizing step defects, they said.
“When manufactured
at scale, defect-guided capture may potentially increase the DNA capture
throughput by several orders of magnitude, compared with current
technology,” Shankla said.
“After a long development process, we
are excited to see this principle used in a variety of other materials
and applications such as delivery of individual molecules to reaction
chambers for experiments,” the researchers said.Source: Nature NanotechnologyEurekalert
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:23 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: ThreeD Capital Inc. (IDK:CSE) Led by
legendary financier, Sheldon Inwentash, ThreeD is a Canadian-based
venture capital firm that only invests in best of breed small-cap
companies which are both defensible and mass scalable. More than just
lip service, Inwentash has financed many of Canada’s biggest small-cap
exits. Click Here For More Information.
IDK: CSE
Goldman Sachs Analysts Say that It’s Time to Buy Bitcoin
In short – the experts are quite bullish for Bitcoin to go up.
Basically, they have set up a short-term price target of $13,971 – yes, specifically this one.
Recently, Three Arrows Capital CEO Su Zhu has shared the Goldman Sachs
note which was sent out to investors. In the note, Goldman Sachs
analysts suggest that buying this Bitcoin dip is a prime opportunity.
The note itself consisted of a Bitcoin CMI futures chart and a comment from the analysts.
First of all, the fact that Goldman Sachs is sending out crypto, in
this particular case, Bitcoin advice to their investors is mind-blowing.
Also, the fact that they are seeing it as a bullish pattern and they
are using the Elliot Wave Theory indicators on their Bitcoin chart is
also a big surprise.
Experts point out that the fact that the Bitcoin CMI futures chart is
used means that this note is being sent out only to institutional
investors. You can see this by the little gaps in the chart which are
weekends. That is the time when CMI Bitcoin Futures markets are closed.
What does the Note Say?
In short – the experts are quite bullish for Bitcoin to go up.
Basically, they have set up a short-term price target of $13,971 – yes,
specifically this one.
In detail – they believe that Bitcoin will find a support level near
$11,094 and $10,791. Once it does that, the analysts say that the chart
has plenty of room to break out at least to $12,916, and possibly to a
new 2019 ATH – $13,971.
“Reaching these levels could mean completing a v wave count from
July. Bottom line, watch for a short-term top/consolidation once
satisfied,†says the note.
But this is a short-term prediction. What about long-term? Well,
according to Goldman Sachs analysts, anything below $13,000 is an
indication to accumulate. They believe that we are in for a similar
run-up like we saw recently this year when Bitcoin went from $7,600 to
around $11,900 in a matter of a couple of weeks.
“In the bigger scheme of things, this might still be the first leg of
another 5-wave count similar to the trend that lasted from Dec ‘18
through Jun ’19,†reads the note.
Also, another thing which recently was highlighted – Bitcoin loves
30% pullbacks. Some experts and analysts have noticed that after a
healthy 30% pullback, Bitcoin always have recovered and this is even
considered as a normal investment strategy. Hence, it is 100% sure that
Bitcoin will have a run-up if it has fallen by approx. 30%.
So in short – Goldman Sachs says that we all need to buy Bitcoin.
But, as usual, only the time will show whether this advice was
definitely the one that investors should have followed.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 1:33 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Enthusiast Gaming Holdings Inc.
(TSX-V: EGLX) Uniting gaming communities with 80 owned and affiliated
websites, currently reaching over 75 million monthly visitors. The
company exceeded 2018 target with $11.0 million in revenue. Learn More
EGLX: TSX-V
From casual gaming to making millions: Inside the fast-growing esports industry
Giorgio Calandrelli, 26, used to play the game Fortnite solely for “fun.†That was until his debut competition under a major esports brand last year.
The Italian professional gamer, who is known to his fans as “Pow3r,†says he faced numerous setbacks in his opening bid to impress his new team, London-based Fnatic.
“I f**ked up,†he says with candor. An accidental misclick that pulled him out of his game also cost him a match. “The tournament is about consistency and getting the most kills as possible to get in the top 20,†Calandrelli told CNBC. Each move he makes matters.
Luckily for Calandrelli, he was afforded a comeback, accruing 20
online kills in a “special challenge†game that won him a lucrative
$10,000 prize. Altogether, Fnatic’s Fortnite team managed to bag more
than $100,000 over the course of the tournament.
And that’s just the tip of a growing iceberg. Fnatic says that prize
pools in the first year of a Fortnite competition have ranged from $1
million to $20 million. Last year, the game’s developer Epic Games announced it was committing $100 million for Fortnite tournament prize pools from 2018 to 2019.
But while esports has grown up as an industry over the past decade,
in terms of both money and viewership, its stars — and fans — seem to be
getting younger and younger.
Last month saw 16-year-old gamer Kyle “Bugha†Giersdorf haul a huge $3 million reward after coming first place in the Fortnite World Cup, the championship dedicated to the popular battle royale game.
Fortnite has helped reignite interest in esports, with titans of the
entertainment industry struggling to figure out how to catch up. Comcast, for example, recently announced it would build a $50 million arena designed to accommodate esports tournaments.
Industry research group Newzoo estimates esports revenues will top $1
billion for the first time this year, climbing 27% from last year’s
figure. It’s a phenomenon that’s helped people transition from playing
casually in their bedrooms to playing for money in major competitions.
“It’s just like any sport,†Sam Mathews, Fnatic’s co-founder and CEO,
told CNBC. “You have the amateurs, and then the semi-amateur pros; then
semi-pro and then you get up to pro. It really takes that sort of skill
level and attitude. Attitude is a huge part of any sport.â€
“When we scout players, we need to see that they go to trials, we
need to check that they have the right attitude. And eventually if
they’re good enough they make it onto our main squad.â€
‘Common ground’
Competitive gamers’ earnings don’t stop at prize pools. There are
esports team contracts, sponsorship deals and merchandise on top of
that.
Teespring is a platform dedicated to making and selling customized
merchandise, with a particular focus on so-called online “influencers.â€
Chris Lamontagne, the firm’s CEO, told CNBC it’s formed a strong base
of customers involved in gaming. Lamontagne said the benefit of
customized merchandise for gamers is it creates “common ground†between
them and their fan base.
“There’s a lot of content that can be created just given there’s a
mutual connection over the game itself,†he said. He added there are “a
couple of big esport teams†using Teespring, without identifying which
ones.
Beyond Fortnite, there are plenty of games that have become pillars
of the competitive gaming landscape. These include Dota 2, League of
Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch.
watch now
VIDEO01:20
Sixteen-year-old wins Fortnite World Cup and takes home $3 million
And esports has stretched out beyond staged tournaments, thanks to
the advent of live streaming. Calandrelli said he often does live
broadcasts on Amazon-owned platform Twitch, a venue which he says helps him connect with his fans.
“Something in the gaming world working really well is streaming,†Lamontagne said. Teespring has signed partnerships with Google’s YouTube and Twitch that let content creators sell their merchandise through its service.
One of the biggest streamers out there right now is Tyler “Ninja†Blevins, who managed to rake in nearly $10 million last year, largely thanks to fan donations and paid subscriptions on Twitch and ad revenue on YouTube.
Blevins helped Fortnite become an esports phenomenon in its own right
— with almost 250 million registered users as of March 20, the game’s
influence can’t be understated.
And the streaming battlefield could be about to see a shakeup. Ninja recently made the surprise announcement
that he would be shifting from Twitch — where he’s pulled in about 14.7
million followers — to Microsoft’s live streaming service Mixer.
Diversification
Mathews, himself a gamer, said there’s plenty of money to be made on
the part of esports organizations as well as the players themselves.
Fnatic for example has diversified into hardware, selling everything
from professional-grade keyboards to gaming headsets.
The company bought gaming hardware manufacturer Func back in 2015,
and sells its gear in 400 Best Buy stores in the U.S. It’s also got a
presence in South Korea and Japan, Mathews said.
watch now
“To this day we’re the only esports organization to own its own
peripheral hardware business,†he said. “It’s a massively growing part
of our revenue stream and something we really believe in.â€
Esports players are also making moves in the music industry. Fnatic’s
Calandrelli said he is in talks with “one of the biggest†group of
rappers in his country on collaborating with them, and has previously
done tie-ups with record labels like Virgin EMI and Atlantic Records.
Calandrelli declined to disclose details of his earnings when asked by CNBC.
According to the British Esports Association,
some of the top esports players in the world include Saahil “UNiVeRsEâ€
Arora, with estimated income of over $2.6 million, Lee “Fakerâ€
Sang-hyeok, with $890,000 in earnings, and Robin “flusha†Ronnquist, who
earns an estimate of $388,000.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 1:19 PM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Advance Gold AAX.v – Advance Gold controls 100% interest in the Tabasquena Silver Mine in Zacatecas, Mexico. A cluster of 30 Epithermal veins have been discovered, with recent emphasis on exploring a large anomaly to drill. Advance also owns 15% of the Kakamega JV attached to Barrick Takeover Offer for Acacia Mining
In Canada, Gold is $100 higher than its (previous) all-time highs.
Gold and Silver Ratio also close to previous highs
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:54 AM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Bougainville
Ventures Inc (CSE: BOG) provides strategic capital to the thriving
cannabis cultivation sector through ownership and development of
commercial real estate properties. The company also offers fully built
out turnkey facilities equipped with state-of-the-art growing
infrastructure to cannabis growers and processors. Click here for more info.
—————–
Using CBD Has Never Been More Popular For Americans
Reasons why Americans are turning to CBD vary across the board, but pain relief ranks highest at 40%.
Whatever notions that CBD was just another wellness fad are officially dead. Need proof? Look no further than a Gallup poll released earlier this week.
While federal regulations around CBD remain unsettled for now, the legalization of hemp in 2018
allowed access to CBD to explode throughout the country. The poll found
that younger Americans and those living Western states are more likely
to admit using CBD. However, it’s worth noting 50% of Americans still
don’t consume CBD, with another 35% confessing they have no familiarity
with CBD products at all.
Amongst those aged 30 or younger, CBD usage jumps to 20% and lack of
knowledge around CBD products drops to 26%. Those numbers reverse for
older demographics. Both these trends mirror what previous Gallup polls
found in marijuana usage, as younger people reporting more consumption
while older folks less.
The reasons why Americans are turning to CBD vary across the board,
with pain relief ranking highest at 40%. Other major reasons for
American CBD usage include anxiety (20%), insomnia (11%), and arthritis
(8%). That said, women were more likely than men to use CBD to relieve
anxiety symptoms (25% vs. 14%), while men turned to CBD as a sleep aid
more than women (15% vs. 8%).
And though the majority of Americans report using CBD for medical and
therapeutic relief, 5% of respondents admit to recreational usage of
CBD.
Though CBD proliferating through the United States
might give cannabis enthusiasts cheer, it’s equally important for
consumers to recognize whether they’re purchasing the real deal or
expensive snake oil. Remember, misinformation around CBD can be
life-threatening, especially when using for medicinal purposes. It’s
important to buy high-quality CBD
products and be able to spot fake CBD in the wild. While CBD oil might
be the most popular delivery vehicle, be sure to check out other forms
if curious.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:34 AM on Monday, August 12th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)
Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14
million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has
interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro
Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
Gold Is Hot But Nickel Is Hotter As Demand Grows For Batteries In Electric Vehicles
Gold is hot but there’s another metal which is hotter, nickel.
Up 30% over the past two months nickel has delivered more than double the performance of gold which is up 13% over the same time, and the gap could get a lot wider as the supply of nickel stagnates and demand accelerates.
The driving force behind the recent awakening of gold is well-understood and can be summed up as a flight to safety as the China v U.S. trade war slows global growth and values of conventional, or fiat currencies, are debased by governments resorting to quantitative easing or other forms of creating money.
Bags filled with nickel briquette and nickel powder sit in a
warehouse at the BHP Group Ltd. Kwinana Nickel Refinery in Kwinana,
Western Australia, Australia, on Friday, Aug. 2, 2019. The world’s
biggest miners, including BHP Group and Glencore Plc, are finally firm
believers in the electric vehicle battery revolution — what they don’t
agree on is which metals will deliver the best long-term exposure to the
developing global market. Photographer: Philip Gostelow/Bloomberg
Nickel’s drivers are different and far easier to understand and boil
down to a simple case of supply exceeding demand which, in past nickel
booms, was essentially a case of mines failing to keep up with the
requirements of steel mills making stainless steel, a material which has
traditional consumed close to 80% of the world’s nickel.
Demand Growing For Nickel In Batteries
Stainless steel remains the primary market for nickel but there’s a
faster-growing market which until a few years ago was insignificant;
lithium-ion batteries.A standard source of power in small appliances
such as cell-phones with their nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries, or
nickel-metal hydride (NiMh) rechargeable batteries the big game today is
in the battery packs which power electric cars such as the Tesla, Prius
and Leaf.
From being a metal easily described as a one-trick pony thanks to its
dominant end-use in stainless steel, nickel has suddenly become a
two-trick pony, and if electric cars take off as predicted then a
shortage in future years is possible.
What caused nickel to run from around $5.40 a pound two months ago to
$7.09/lb at the end of last week (and a high on Friday of $7.22/lb) was
a combination of strong demand from Chinese stainless steel mills and
speculation that a major source of the metal could be cut off sooner
than expected.
The source under threat is unprocessed nickel ore from Indonesia
which is shipped to China for use in steel mills as a material called
Nickel Pig Iron (NPI). Indonesia, and other countries which produce NPI
dislike the material because it does not require any value-adding in the
home market.
Previous bans on NPI have crimped the industry only for it to return.
But the next ban is expected to be permanent and while Indonesia has
said it will not be applied until the year 2022 it could happen sooner,
just as battery makers seek supplies of nickel to meet electric-car
demand.
ANZ, an Australian bank, warned two weeks ago that falling stockpiles
of nickel metal were a warning of a squeeze developing. Stockpiles in
warehouses managed by the London Metal Exchange (LME) have been falling
for the past four years, with an accelerating decline over the past two,
a time when reserve inventories dropped by 43% from around 250,000 tons
to 142,000t.
“Nickel inventories have declined steadily since early 2018, as the persistent market deficit takes a toll,” ANZ said.
“Some analysts suggest stockpiling by electric vehicle manufacturers
is behind the depletion. Whether this is the case or not, we see the
tight market meaning further inventory drawdowns are likely.
Talk Of Panic Buying
“Current LME stockpiles would meet less than two months of supply — so panic buying is a likely outcome.”
It is highly unusual for a bank like ANZ to use an expression as
emotive as panic buying but it was used largely because of concern that
speculators had become active in the nickel market ahead of Indonesia’s
reintroduction of a ban on NPI.
Pure-play Australian nickel mining companies are enjoying sharp share
price rises as the nickel price moves up. Western Areas has risen by
25% over the past month and Mincor, which has just re-signed a supply
agreement with BHP, a major producer of the nickel sulphate which
battery makers prefer, is up 28%.
If there is a squeeze developing on nickel supplies as a major new
market develops for the metal the price could go much higher than its
current $7.09/lb.
Back in 2011 when a supply shortage developed the nickel price hit
$22/lb, before falling rapidly as steel mills found substitutes for
nickel in their stainless steel, including manganese.
No-one is talking about a nickel boom as powerful as that in 2011 but
nickel has a long track record of extreme moves, up and down.
Tags: CSE, nickel, nickel demand, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in All Recent Posts, Tartisan Nickel | Comments Off on Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Gold Is Hot But Nickel Is Hotter As Demand Grows For Batteries In Electric Vehicles #EV $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca