Century Aluminum’s proposed USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter in Inola, Oklahoma, is “moving forward on all fronts” as the company prepares for construction, despite local opposition and legal challenges, CEO Jesse Gary said during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. Developed jointly by Century Aluminum and Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the project is designed to produce 750,000 tonnes of primary aluminum annually, potentially doubling U.S. primary aluminum production. The facility is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and add USD 1.5 billion to Oklahoma’s gross domestic product, according to company estimates. The partners had targeted construction to begin by the end of 2026. However, local restrictions and permitting challenges have affected the...
LME aluminium stocks declined by more than half during the first nine months of 2026, falling by 267,875 tonnes from 509,250 tonnes on January 2 to 241,375 tonnes on September 30 (52.6 per cent). The decline continued throughout the period, with average warehouse inventories falling each month. Compared with the same period in 2025, monthly average stocks were lower across all nine months, with the gap widening in the third quarter. Q1 LME aluminium stocks fall 18.2 per cent LME aluminium inventories continued to decline during Q1 2026. Month-end stocks fell from 495,725 tonnes in January to 465,550 tonnes in February, before dropping further to 416,775 tonnes in March. Monthly average inventories stood at 498,670 tonnes in January, 481,801 tonnes in February and 440,710 tonnes in March....
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As the bull market of SHFE aluminum futures continued, most active SHFE 1110 aluminum contract prices opened higher at RMB 18,010/mt on July 27. In the morning, most active SHFE 1110 aluminum contract prices successfully broke through RMB 18,000/mt after 11 a.m. and hit RMB 18,400/mt. At the tail of trading, most active SHFE 1110 aluminum contract prices slightly fell due to profit-making, and finally closed at RMB 18,310/mt surging by RMB 440/mt or 2.46%. Total positions of most active SHFE aluminum contracts drastically increased by 54,536 lots to 212,896 lots. With both transaction volumes and prices rising, the bull market is expected to continue, and most active SHFE 1110 aluminum contract prices are expected to reach RMB 18,500/mt in the short term.
As SHFE aluminum prices kept rising with most active SHFE aluminum contract prices surging by 2%, upward trend of spot aluminum prices in south China accelerated. Mainstream traded prices of spot aluminum in the area were between RMB 18,540-18,570/mt, with a huge jump of RMB 285/mt and premiums over Shanghai spot aluminum prices widening to RMB 355/mt. As a result, downstream purchase confidence was weakened and no market transaction was reported as aluminum prices kept rising.
Traded prices of spot aluminum in Shanghai on July 27th were between RMB 18,190-18,210/mt, with premiums of positive RMB 60-90/mt over SHFE current-month aluminum prices. Low-iron aluminum was traded between RMB 18,290-18,310/mt. Traded prices of spot aluminum in Wuxi were between RMB 18,180-18,200/mt. As SHFE aluminum prices surged by a huge 2%, spot aluminum prices gained by RMB 210/mt, which led to deterioration of purchase confidence among downstream buyers. Supplies were scarce among cargo-holders as they were building up inventories. Middlemen were cautious towards entering the market. As a result, the active market sentiment cooled down.
Norsk Hydro plans to sell its 20.86% ntake in northern Norwegian power producer SKS Produksjon to Salten Kraftsamband for NOK1bn. The sale does not affect Hydro’s ownership of 9.4 TWh of annual power production in Norway.
Japanese shipments of aluminium products eased in June from a year-earlier, but demand was firm due to expectations for a recovery from a destructive earthquake in March and ramped-up output to avoid power shortages ahead of the summer. The Japan Aluminium Association said on Wednesday aluminium products shipments fell 0.8 percent in June from a year earlier to 178,452 tonnes, but rose 7 percent from 166,885 tonnes in May for a second monthly gain in a row.
Inductotherm company Bricmont has been awarded a contract to supply eight high production capacity round top charge aluminium melting furnaces and eight rectangular tilting holding furnaces for Weiqiao Aluminum and Electricity Company in Shandong Province, China.
Chalco’s Liancheng Aluminium is expected to put all of its newly-constructed potlines into production by the end of this year. The first batch of the potlines, with a designed capacity of 130kt/y started trial operation in March this year. Total capacity of the expansion project is 388kt/y.
Sapa Profiles’ has informed its employees in Belgium, The Netherlands and Portugal of its intention to consolidate the capacity in those countries. It has started a consultation process with employee representatives. It said the restructuring proposal intends to ensure the long term competitiveness of Sapa Profiles, with a strategic focus on high value products for its customers.
UK group Altek Europe Ltd has been awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise – International Trade. The company, launched in 2007, designs and project-manages products to support aluminium production and recycling.
State-run National Aluminium Co (NALCO) expects a 10-12 percent rise in turnover this fiscal as new capacities gets added, but rising raw material costs are seen denting profitability, its chairman said on Tuesday.
ALUMINIUM producer Hulamin saw headline earnings rocket in the six months to June, but the company warned yesterday that despite a reduction in costs, the increase comes off a low base and is threatened by rand strength.
Below are the highest five companies in the Aluminum industry based on estimated Forward Earnings Yields. Using projected earnings for the current fiscal year, the forward earnings yield is useful to compare a stock's return vs. owning a similar stock or other yield assets (e.g. bonds). Generally, the higher the earnings yield, the more undervalued the stock. Noranda Aluminum (NYSE:NOR - Snapshot Report) has the highest Forward Earnings Yield of 11.3%; Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX - Snapshot Report) is next with a Forward Earnings Yield of 10.7%; and Alcoa (NYSE:AA - Analyst Report) has the next highest with a Forward Earnings Yield of 8.1%. Alumina (NYSE:AWC - Snapshot Report) follows with a Forward Earnings Yield of 5.9% and Kaiser Aluminum (NASDAQ:KALU - Snapshot Report) rounds out...
Reliance Steel and Aluminum (NYSE:RS) closed Monday's downbeat trading session at $50.31. In the past year, the stock has hit a 52-week low of $34.58 and 52-week high of $60.60. Reliance Steel and Aluminum (RS) stock has been showing support around $49.38 and resistance in the $51.08 range. Technical indicators for the stock are Bullish and S&P gives Reliance Steel and Aluminum (RS) a very positive 5 STARS (out of 5) strong buy rating. For a hedged play on Reliance Steel and Aluminum (RS), look at the Sep '11 $50.00 covered call for a net debit in the $47.81 area. That is also the break-even stock price for this trade. This covered call has a duration of 53 days, provides 4.97% downside protection and an assigned return rate of 4.58% for an annualized return rate of 31.55% (for comparison...
Aluminum giant Alcoa (NYSE: AA ) just reported a 27% surge in revenue and a more than twofold jump in its bottom line for the second quarter. A major aluminum company covers a lot of major sectors and thus gives us insight into the broader economy.
Norwegian aluminum producer Norsk Hydro ASA (NHY.OS) is aiming to fully restart its Sunndal smelter in Norway by the end of the year, but still hasn't decided on timing for the return to full capacity. The company said Tuesday that the restart of the remaining 85,000 metric tons of annualized capacity will depend on "continued satisfactory market conditions" and that its timing will be decided later.
China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association announced that China’s aluminum output in June is 1,564.2 kt, which has grown for three successive months. China’s total aluminum output from January to June is 8,686.3 kt, up 4.4% YoY. SMM expects China’s aluminum output to keep growing in July. According to SMM statistics, as of June 2011, China’s aluminum capacity in operation has passed 20 mmt/yr, with major contributors of current capacity growth coming from west China. With more working days and operating aluminum capacities in July, aluminum output of the month will also increase. During late July to early August, a 310 kt/yr aluminum capacity will be put into production in Ningxia with power already connected. Meanwhile an over 200 kt/yr aluminum capacity will also be gradually put into...
The debt talk stalemate in the US has exposed the country to risks of default and downgrade of credit rating. Late on July 26th, a higher July Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index was released, but coupled with lower-than-expected new house sales data in June. As risk aversion sentiment grew, the US dollar index continuously fell and finally closed at 73.535, down 0.78% after hitting 73.446, a new low since May 5th. After the US dollar index plunged, LME metals prices rose overnight. LME aluminum prices fluctuated upward with strong support at the moving averages and hit USD 2,659/mt. At the tail of trading, LME aluminum prices slightly fell and finally closed at USD 2,643/mt, up USD 28/mt or 1.07%. Total positions increased by 859 lots to 681,960 lots. SMM expects LME aluminum...
A bull market for SHFE aluminum contracts was seen on July 26th. In the morning, after opening at RMB 17,650/mt and consolidating at RMB 17,700/mt, most active SHFE 1110 aluminum contract prices surged and hit RMB 17,910/mt. In the afternoon, after regaining confidence, the longs pushed up SHFE aluminum prices which led base metals to gain and quickly broke RMB 18,000/mt. Finally closed price was RMB 18,015/mt, with a huge jump of RMB 350/mt or 1.98% from previous trading day. Total positions of most active SHFE aluminum contracts drastically increased by 34,378 lots to 158,358 lots. After SHFE aluminum prices surged by nearly 2% to break the RMB 18,000/mt mark, short-selling increased, and SMM expects SHFE aluminum prices to fluctuate at RMB 18,000/mt in the short term. Traded prices of...
