Speaker:  

Gregory Shearer, Head of Base and Precious Metals Research

Last week, we attended Cesco Week, one of the leading copper events globally, which brings together the most important producers & consumers and industry leaders each year in Santiago, Chile. We encountered nearly universal bullishness on copper prices over the medium-term, though near-term, there was still a sense that the current copper rally may be running ahead of still slack refined market fundamentals which could take some further time to tighten over the coming quarters. Despite the potential for near-term volatility, there was a broader acknowledgement that we are now entering a new upwards trend for copper prices.  Tighter refined copper markets over the course of this year and next look somewhat inevitable, stressing low global above ground stocks. Amidst near-term supply tightening already, progress on filling end-of-decade supply gaps looks nearly non-existent from many major producers and time is now beginning to run very short.

This podcast was recorded on 26 April 2024.