LME aluminium on April 24: Cash nears $3,700/t, stocks continue to slide downhill

London Metal Exchange (LME) aluminium prices recorded improved figures on April 24 compared to the previous close. Cash price reported gains by wide margins, near-term futures contracts recovered from the previous session’s decline, while longer-dated contracts and opening stocks continued to slide.

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The LME aluminium cash bid price rose from USD 3,641.5 per tonne on April 23 to USD 3,683 per tonne on April 24, increasing by 1.14 per cent. The cash offer price climbed from USD 3,642 per tonne to USD 3,685 per tonne, up 1.18 per cent day-on-day.

The three-month contract followed a similar trend. The LME aluminium 3-month bid as well as offer price recorded a gain of 0.28 per cent. The bid price edged up from USD 3,588 per tonne on April 23 to USD 3,598 per tonne on April 24, while the offer price rose from USD 3,590 per tonne to USD 3,600 per tonne.

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In contrast to the cash and near-term recovery, the longer-dated contracts continued to decline. Both the December 2027 bid and offer price decreased by 1.18 per cent on the close of April 24. The bid price slipped from USD 3,135 per tonne to USD 3,098 per tonne, while the offer price fell from USD 3,140 per tonne to USD 3,103 per tonne.

The LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price stood at USD 3,591 on April 24, compared to USD 3,620 per tonne on April 23, indicating a fall of 0.8 per cent.

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On the inventory front, LME aluminium opening stock declined further to 378,825 on April 24 compared to 381,050 tonnes on April 23, reflecting a 0.58 per cent decline. Live warrants remained unchanged at 335,000 tonnes. However, cancelled warrants dropped to 43,825 tonnes from 41,275 tonnes, marking a 5.82 per cent decrease.

Meanwhile, the LME alumina Platts price settled at USD 307.5 per tonne, dropping from USD 308.69 per tonne on the previous close by 0.39 per cent.

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