Metals Soaring on a Green Frenzy, Global Recovery
LONDON (Bloomberg) - Industrial metal prices are powering to the highest in years on bets an economic recovery from the pandemic and worldwide push for cleaner, greener energy will unleash vast amounts of pent-up demand.
From base-metal bellwethers to essential inputs for batteries and home electronics, post-crisis consumption threatens to outstrip near-term supply. Governments and companies globally are announcing net-zero emissions goals, Europe is rolling out a package of environmental initiatives as part of its growth plan, and President Joe Biden has pledged $400 billion on clean energy research and development over 10 years.
That’s set to expand demand for metals and is boosting companies across the supply chain. Tesla Inc. has surged more than 300% over the past year on a robust outlook for electric vehicles, while miners including Glencore Plc and BHP Group are sounding increasingly upbeat about the outlook for raw materials. The growing bullishness has even spurred talk about a possible new commodities supercycle.
Copper, Nickel
Base metals are enjoying a sweep of gains, with nickel at its highest since 2014, and copper eyeing a record stretch of monthly advances as it creeps closer to $10,000 a ton. The logic is simple: output won’t match accelerating demand growth as economies escape the pandemic and the world splurges on electric infrastructure that can’t be built without copper wires and cabling. That threatens bouts of supply shortages, starting this year with a copper deficit that Citigroup Inc. pins at about 500,000 tons.
From base-metal bellwethers to essential inputs for batteries and home electronics, post-crisis consumption threatens to outstrip near-term supply. Governments and companies globally are announcing net-zero emissions goals, Europe is rolling out a package of environmental initiatives as part of its growth plan, and President Joe Biden has pledged $400 billion on clean energy research and development over 10 years.
That’s set to expand demand for metals and is boosting companies across the supply chain. Tesla Inc. has surged more than 300% over the past year on a robust outlook for electric vehicles, while miners including Glencore Plc and BHP Group are sounding increasingly upbeat about the outlook for raw materials. The growing bullishness has even spurred talk about a possible new commodities supercycle.
Copper, Nickel
Base metals are enjoying a sweep of gains, with nickel at its highest since 2014, and copper eyeing a record stretch of monthly advances as it creeps closer to $10,000 a ton. The logic is simple: output won’t match accelerating demand growth as economies escape the pandemic and the world splurges on electric infrastructure that can’t be built without copper wires and cabling. That threatens bouts of supply shortages, starting this year with a copper deficit that Citigroup Inc. pins at about 500,000 tons.