LATEST NEWS

SPECIAL REPORT

In gold we trust - Erste Bank

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Austria's Erste Bank's latest Special report on Gold still rates the yellow metal positively as an investment. A minimally edited version of the introduction to this report is published below.

CHINA FACTOR

Near term copper price pullback will be reversed - Morgan Stanley

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Top bank Morgan Stanley has increased its 2009 copper price forecast to $2.14 per lb and to $2.50 in 2010 as it reckons China's economic recovery will widen and deepen.

SLUGGISH DEMAND

Indian monsoon late - more bad news for the local gold market

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
While Indian demand for gold jewellery and investment products has been painfully slow this year and looks like staying that way, a number of local incentives are underway to boost the industry

PRESERVING PURCHASING POWER

Gold myth No. 1: Gold is (too) expensive

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
The following note is abstracted from a Special Report on Gold published by Austria's Erste Bank and written by gold expert Ronald Stoeferle. Other abstracts and analysis from this report will also be published in due course

FORTIS/VM GROUP REPORT

Precious and base metals prospects uncertain as China grows and West contracts

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
In its latest Asian Metals Monthly report, Fortis Bank/VM Group, looks at the uncertainties in metals prices given Chinese growth and Western economic weakness.

PASSIVE FINANCIAL INVESTOR

China Investment Corp buys 17.4% of Teck

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Major Canadian mining company, Teck resources, is selling a 17.2 percent stake to China Investment Corp to raise proceeds of C$1.74 bln to help it pay down debt.

PREDATOR, NOT PREY

Another platinum merger - Jubilee bids for Braemore

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Platinum developer, Jubilee Platinum, has made an apparently friendly all-share offer for platinum metallurgical specialist Braemore Resources.

WORLD'S TOP 100 MINERS

Beyond Xstrata and Anglo American

Thursday , 02 Jul 2009
With Chinese and Indian stock markets around 12-month highs, the two-tier global mining market gains more divide; 74 of the world's Top 100 mining companies may now be classified under the "developing country" heading.

TRADING HALT

Rio Tinto wraps up world's fifth-largest rights issue

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Following yesterdays' announcement of the successful sale of the London tranche of the huge Rio Tinto rights issue, today has seen the successful completion of the Australian end.

HIBBING TACONITE JV TO REMAIN SHUT

Cliffs announces cutbacks in iron ore and coal production

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
U.S. iron ore miner Cliffs Natural Resource is deferring some production while leaving its Hibbing Taconite iron ore facility in Minnesota closed until next year.

GLADSTONE ON HOLD

BHP offloads Yabulu nickel refinery - takes $675 million write-down

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
BHP Billiton has sold its big Yabulu nickel refinery in Queensland to local mining entrepreneur Clive Palmer for an undisclosed price.

COLO. URANIUM MILL GETS PLANNING ENDORSEMENT

Energy Fuels and Magnum Uranium complete merger

Friday , 03 Jul 2009
Newly merged with Magnum Uranium, junior uranium company Energy Fuels may be on track to open the first modern uranium mill in Colorado in 2012.

NO SUCH PLAN

ANC rejects call to nationalise South African mines

Thursday , 02 Jul 2009
Following a call from the party's youth wing for nationalisation of South Africa's mines, the ruling ANC party's Secretary-General said nationalisation of the country's mines was not on the party's agenda.