If the market for steel and Chinese economy does start to strengthen, Cliffs could be a beneficiary through
higher iron ore prices.
A higher iron ore price has helped Atlas Iron post operating cash flow of $ 58 million in the December quarter, as the company maintained that it would reach a net cash position by the middle of the year.
Not exact matches
If you're wondering why the outlook for
iron ore remains grim despite last night's
price rise to a three - month
high of $ US63.10 a tonne, it is partly because Western Australia's
iron ore miners have a new competitor — themselves.
High - end residential property
prices in Perth have weakened considerably since the
iron ore construction boom ended and oil
prices collapsed, although these two negative events are slowly slipping from the headlines and being replaced by positive changes.
For example, the
iron ore supply continues to expand despite lower
prices, thanks to the impact of multi-year investments made when
prices were
higher.
Iron ore prices have slumped to $ US104 a tonne in recent days, yet Mr Power said it could soon rebound as
high as $ US150.»
A key element in this shift is China; the value of Chinese exports to Canada tripled over this period and Canadian exports to China, while still small relative to exports to the US, have grown steadily in value driven by commodity exports which have been buoyed by
high prices and huge demand in China for key Canadian exports such as minerals (nickel, coking coal, potash, copper and
iron ore), pulp and lumber.
Some other resource
prices have also edged
higher with, for example, the US dollar contract
prices for
iron ore for the Japanese fiscal year 2003/04 (beginning 1 April 2003) rising by around 9 per cent on levels of the previous year.
Sharply
higher contract
prices for coal and iron ore in 2005/06 took effect from the beginning of April and are expected to boost the Bank's Index of Commodity Prices by around 25 per cent, once they are fully included in published transaction p
prices for coal and
iron ore in 2005/06 took effect from the beginning of April and are expected to boost the Bank's Index of Commodity
Prices by around 25 per cent, once they are fully included in published transaction p
Prices by around 25 per cent, once they are fully included in published transaction
pricesprices.
Much of the recent strength has come from a steep rise estimated for «other resource»
prices, as sharply
higher contract
prices for
iron ore and coal began to take effect from 1 April, and to a lesser extent, from rising base metals
prices.
Despite the warning, shares in Atlas closed up 33 per cent at 1.6 cents, with analysts pointing to an improved earnings result for the December half and a
higher spot
iron ore price.
The Australian sharemarket has retreated from six - year
highs, as a plunge in the
iron ore price weighed on miners and several poorer - than - expected earnings results convinced investors to take a breather.
The way he sees it, the so - called «
iron ore wars» of the last decade, where Chinese steel mills clamoured to secure supply driving
prices ever
higher, will soon be replaced by the «beef wars».
The «
iron ore wars», where Chinese steel mills clamoured to secure supply driving
prices ever
higher, will soon be replaced by the «beef wars».
Prices would remain
high with the market for coal, copper,
iron ore and other basic materials operating in deficits.
In Q2 of 2012, Cliffs received $ 128.39 / t for its Eastern Canadian
iron ore production (though the Wabush output receives a
higher price than the Bloom Lake output since the Wabush mine produces pellets and BL produces fines; Wabush pellets have elevated manganese and receive a lower
price than other pellets).
Following the
high of 2011, with gold
prices in excess of US$ 1900 / oz, copper
prices in excess of US$ 10,000 / tonne and
iron ore prices in excess of US$ 190 / tonne, metal
prices crashed and with those
prices fell some of the junior mining companies that depended on them.