Newmont Mining US6516391066
The world's largest gold producer, Newmont Mining, enters 2026 with a significant leadership transition at a pivotal moment. Natascha Viljoen has officially taken the helm as CEO, succeeding Tom Palmer. Her appointment coincides with a historic rally in gold prices, creating a dual tailwind for the company. Market participants are now assessing whether the new executive can leverage this favorable environment to enhance profitability and meet elevated investor expectations.
The optimism surrounding Newmont is underpinned by a powerful macroeconomic trend. Gold has been trading near record levels, recently quoted around $4,370 per ounce. This price strength is poised to significantly boost the company's operating margins. Furthermore, the integration of Newcrest Mining has bolstered Newmont's exposure to copper, strategically positioning it to benefit from the global energy transition.
Analysts have been quick to adjust their valuations in light of these conditions. UBS recently raised its price target to $125, while Jefferies now sees a fair value of $120 per share. Both firms highlighted the substantial leverage that high gold prices provide to corporate earnings. Institutional confidence is also evident; The Mather Group increased its stake in Newmont by approximately 40% during the third quarter.
The New CEO's Strategic Mandate
Natascha Viljoen, formerly the CEO of Anglo American Platinum, assumed her role on January 1st. Her primary focus will be optimizing Newmont's expanded portfolio following the Newcrest acquisition. The market's initial reaction to her leadership was positive: on the first trading day of the year, the stock closed at $101.22, firmly holding above the psychologically important $100 threshold. This suggests investor trust in her operational expertise to drive production efficiency.
However, this vote of confidence brings considerable pressure. The market consensus anticipates upcoming quarterly earnings per share of $1.61, representing year-over-year growth of roughly 15%. Revenue is projected to be around $5.45 billion.
Navigating High Expectations and Valuation
Trading at a forward P/E ratio estimated above 14, Newmont's shares command a premium compared to many industry peers. Consequently, Viljoen must demonstrate an ability to manage costs effectively within an inflationary climate to maximize free cash flow.
All eyes are now on the forthcoming quarterly report, which will serve as Viljoen's first major communication as CEO. Commentary on capital allocation will be scrutinized—specifically, whether robust revenue will be directed toward increased dividends or share buybacks. If the stock can sustain its position above $100, the company will be well-placed to translate positive sector momentum into further share price appreciation.
By Alex Kimani - Jan 05, 2026, 1:30 PM CST
Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen has warned that U.S. President Donald Trump is serious about taking over Greenland, adding that a U.S. attack on a NATO ally would be the end of all, with concern in Copenhagen renewed after Washington’s recent actions against Venezuela hardened views on Trump’s use of power.
"If the United States decides to militarily attack another NATO country, then everything would stop -- that includes NATO and therefore post-World War II security," Mette Frederiksen told Danish television network TV2.
On Sunday, Trump repeated that the US needs Greenland “from the standpoint of national security.”
“We need Greenland. … It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it.”
Greenland is a large Arctic territory spanning 2.17 million square kilometers (836,000 sq mi), making it the world's largest island. However, its land area (ice-free) is much smaller, around 410,450 sq km, as nearly 80% of the island is covered by a massive ice sheet. That said, Trump's interest in Greenland is partly due to its vast, untapped reserves of critical minerals vital for tech and defense, reducing reliance on China.
The Arctic holds significant deposits of rare earth elements, cobalt, nickel, and other metals crucial for batteries, EVs, and defense technology. Climate change is making critical minerals in the Arctic more accessible by melting ice and permafrost, opening up land for exploration, while also creating new challenges like destabilized infrastructure and environmental risks, leading to a complex geopolitical race for these resources vital for green tech.
While receding ice and thawing ground improve physical access for mining, creating opportunities for nations like Greenland, Russia, and Canada, it simultaneously threatens fragile ecosystems and Indigenous communities with pollution, as seen with past oil spills from thawing permafrost, raising serious sustainability questions.
Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images
Shell could earn billions of dollars from new Venezuelan gas projects following Donald Trump’s ousting of Nicolás Maduro.
The British oil company wants to target the rich gas fields lying between Venezuela and the neighbouring offshore islands of Trinidad and Tobago but has faced years of delay linked to US sanctions.
Mr Trump’s intervention means a potential acceleration of the massive Dragon gas field project, which lies in Venezuelan waters. The project could generate an estimated $500m (£370m) in revenues annually for up to three decades, amounting to a multi-billion dollar opportunity.
The Dragon field holds an estimated 120 billion cubic metres of gas, or around three times as much as the UK uses in a year. Far larger deposits sit in fields nearby.
Development of the project has stalled amid wrangling with US authorities over licencing but Shell is expected to renew its focus on Venezuela following Mr Trump’s intervention.
The US president has called on oil companies to invest in the country to boost oil and gas production and improve infrastructure – though he has specifically called for US businesses to lead the way, suggesting Shell may need to seek a partner.
Ashley Kelty, of investment bank Panmure Liberum, said: “The big winners are going to be the US majors, Chevron in particular because it is already active in Venezuela.
“The European majors will get locked out of the best stuff but will get invited in afterwards because American companies will want joint ventures to spread the risk – and companies like Shell and BP will be first choice.”
Shell declined to comment.
BP also has a smaller interest in the region that may be revived. BP won an exploration and production licence for the Manakin-Cocuina field in 2024 but its US approvals were revoked by the Trump administration in April last year. BP has been lobbying for them to be reinstated.
Oil companies have so far avoided saying publicly whether they will invest in Venezuela amid uncertainty around its future. Chevron, which already operates there under government supervision, is the only global supermajor to have commented.
A spokesman said: “Chevron remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.”
However, Venezuela represents a huge investment opportunity. The Latin American country sits on the world’s largest oil reserves but ranks just 20th in the world in terms of production.
While the opening up of Venezuela is a boost for Western companies, it is a disaster for Opec, the cartel of oil producing nations.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/shell-eyes-return-venezuela-claim-193025156.html
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New Delhi - India is facing a crucial policy dilemma as the United States intensifies pressure on nations importing Russian oil, with prolonged uncertainty likely to result in higher trade costs, according to a report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI).
The report comes after US President Donald Trump, on January 4, warned that Washington could impose steeper tariffs on Indian goods if New Delhi continues to purchase Russian crude. This warning follows existing trade restrictions, with Indian exports to the US already subject to a 50 per cent import duty, half of which, the report noted, is directly tied to India’s Russian oil imports.
Pressure is also mounting on Capitol Hill, where US Senator Lindsey Graham is advocating legislation to levy secondary tariffs on countries importing Russian oil and gas should Moscow fail to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within a 50-day window.
GTRI pointed out that after the US imposed sanctions in October on major Russian energy firms, including Rosneft and Lukoil, leading Indian refiners such as Reliance Industries and several public sector companies announced a suspension of Russian oil purchases to avoid secondary sanctions. However, imports have not ceased entirely, with reduced volumes continuing from suppliers not under sanctions, leaving India in what the report termed a “strategic grey zone.”
According to the think tank, this lack of clarity is weakening India’s negotiating position. It said that if India intends to discontinue Russian oil imports, the decision should be firm and transparent. Conversely, if purchases from non-sanctioned entities are to continue, New Delhi must clearly articulate its stance and back it with data. The report warned that ambiguity is no longer a sustainable option.
GTRI also cautioned that halting Russian oil imports may not automatically ease US pressure, as trade negotiations could shift focus to other sensitive areas such as agriculture, dairy, digital trade and data governance.
The report further noted that current tariff-related pressure is linked to a particular political phase in Washington, which may not be permanent. While countries like the European Union, Japan and South Korea reduced Russian oil imports to manage relations with the US, China — the largest buyer of Russian crude — has faced comparatively limited pressure due to its strategic leverage.
Indian exports to the US have already fallen by 20.7 per cent between May and November 2025, and any further escalation in tariffs could worsen the slowdown, the report warned.
“As tariff threats intensify, India must take a clear and decisive position on Russian oil, stand by that choice, and communicate it unequivocally to Washington,” GTRI said.
Billions of barrels of Venezuela’s oil claimed by major state-owned Chinese and Russian companies under current deals are now in doubt following the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro, according to investment bank Morgan Stanley.
Oil giant and top Asian refiner China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, or Sinopec, is entitled to as many as 2.8 billion of barrels under current agreements with Venezuela’s state oil firm PDVSA, per a note by Morgan Stanley Research cited by Bloomberg. That’s the single biggest clam by a company that has operated in Venezuela.
Roszarubezhneft of Russia is next, with 2.3 billion barrels worth of claims on Venezuelan oil, according to Morgan Stanley, which used data from Wood Mackenzie to estimate the claims.
CNPC of China has more than 1 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil reserves, followed by U.S. supermajor Chevron, which is entitled to 900 million barrels of Venezuela’s oil.
Other companies, including small Venezuelan firms, Italy’s Eni, and Spain’s Repsol, also have hundreds of millions of barrels of Venezuela’s oil reserves each, the Morgan Stanley estimate showed.
“The crucial question is what will happen with Venezuela’s production from here. This remains hard to forecast,” Morgan Stanley’s analysts wrote in the note.
“Over the medium term, however, risks to production are clearly to the upside, at least from a resource and technical perspective.”
The capture of Nicolas Maduro was followed by claims by U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio that American oil companies would be very interested in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil industry.
Chevron is currently the only U.S. – and Western – company authorized to operate in Venezuela and export the crude to the United States.
“We’re going to have our very large U.S. oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” President Trump said on Saturday, shortly after the Venezuelan leader was captured and flown to the U.S. to face drug cartel-related charges.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
Michael Burry says the US raid on Venezuela is a much bigger deal than the markets' muted reaction suggests.
The investor of "The Big Short" fame, who recently pivoted from running a hedge fund to writing on Substack, published a post early Monday saying the "game just changed" in the mid to long term, and "markets are not pricing in all that may come of this weekend's events."
"This is a paradigm shift despite the markets yawning," he later wrote on X.
Benchmark oil prices climbed less than 1% on Monday, and US stock futures opened higher, after the US captured President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend and President Trump said America would "run" the oil-rich country for the time being.
The seizure was a "shot across China's bow," Burry wrote, pointing to billions of dollars in loans that China has made to Venezuela under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which were collateralized using future oil output that is "now in US hands."
The investor, who shot to fame after his prescient bet against the mid-2000s housing bubble was featured in the book and movie "The Big Short," wrote that China may now have a "blueprint" for how to take control of Taiwan, but "must be in awe of Trumpian America's infuriating gall and decisive power."
Burry said that China stocks strike him as "somewhat riskier" now in terms of running afoul of sanctions. He wrote that Alibaba, Baidu, and other potential sanction targets "could be in for some volatility" if China escalates its aggression in the South China Sea or targets Taiwan.
The contrarian bargain hunter also wrote that "Putin's jaw has to be on the floor" after the US did in "practically seconds" what Russia has been trying to do in Ukraine for three years.
He added that Russian oil "just became less important" in the mid to long term, as tapping Venezuelan oil could strengthen the US and "reduce Russia's income and power."
Burry also suggested that Canada and Mexico could "lose a good amount of leverage" in trade with the US if American refineries switch out Canadian crude for Venezuelan oil.
The veteran investor also said US oil-services companies such as Halliburton, Schlumberger, and Baker Hughes "should benefit significantly" as US contractors will be tasked with fixing and modernizing Venezuela's pipelines and refineries.
Burry also forecast a "long term tailwind" for the US as inflows of Venezuelan oil will mean gas, diesel, and jet fuel prices will drop. He said that could push down prices to the benefit of consumers, especially lower-income ones, cut supply chain costs, and ease some uncertainty about the future for business owners.
https://www.businessinsider.com/big-short-michael-burry-us-venezuela-maduro-oil-energy-china-2026-1
By Tsvetana Paraskova - Jan 06, 2026, 5:00 AM CST
Oil prices are set to continue their downward trajectory and slid to as low as $50 per barrel Brent by the middle of this year, amid ample supply, according to analysts at India’s SBI Research.
“Oil prices in general have remained subdued due to the OPEC+ decision to increase production,” the analysts wrote in a note carried by Fortune India.
The Indian basket is expected “to soften in line with expected trends internationally: Our base case is $50 per barrel... or even lower by June 2026,” the analysts said.
SBI Research’s estimate is not far from the base-case projections of major Wall Street investment banks.
Oil prices are set to further drop into next year from current levels amid a large surplus on the market, with the U.S. benchmark WTI Crude expected to average $53 per barrel in 2026, Goldman Sachs said in November.
The surplus this year will be 2 million barrels per day (bpd) on average, Goldman reckons, but notes that 2026 will be the last year of the current big supply wave hitting the market.
The oil market is set to rebalance in 2027 as 2026 will see “the last big oil supply wave the market has to work through,” Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, told CNBC in November.
In the latest Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecast that the Brent price will drop to an average of $55 per barrel in the first quarter of 2026 and will stay near that price for the rest of the year. This would be the result of growing global oil production and lower demand over the winter, which are set to accelerate the accumulation of oil inventories.
These forecasts were made before the extraction of Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. and the tipping point in the U.S. pressure on Venezuela, the world’s biggest oil reserves holder.
Oil prices haven’t moved much since the U.S. blitz in Venezuela amid still uncertain prospects about the country’s oil supply and the ability and willingness of U.S. companies to lead a rebound in Venezuelan oil output.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Oil-Prices-Could-Slip-to-50-a-Barrel-by-June.html
POSCO Holdings Inc.’s PKX POSCO Future M is focusing its push on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode materials after signing a joint venture agreement with CNGR and its Korean subsidiary, FINO. The agreement was signed at FINO’s headquarters in Anyang, Gyeonggi-do, for the LFP cathode material plant construction.
POSCO Future M, in 2024, established CNP New Material Technology in partnership with CNGR and FINO to deepen cooperation in secondary battery materials with CNGR.
The board approved that the partners will proceed with the construction of an LFP cathode material plant at Pohang’s Yeongil Bay General Industrial Complex 4. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with mass production targeted to begin in 2027. Initial capacity is expected to be expanded to an annual output of up to 50,000 tons.
Although LFP batteries offer lower output than ternary batteries, their cost-effectiveness and longer lifespan have driven rapid adoption in ESS and entry-level electric vehicles. POSCO Future M aims to establish a full-fledged LFP cathode material business while strengthening collaboration with CNGR and FINO across production, technology and marketing.
Meanwhile, POSCO Future M plans to convert portions of its existing high-nickel production lines at its Pohang plant to LFP production. This will enable earlier market entry, with supplies planned for the second half of 2026.
PKX’s shares have gained 19.2% over the past year compared with the industry’s 48.2% growth.
PKX currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Gold prices climbed Monday, while other precious metals also surged after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, escalating geopolitical tensions and lifting safe-haven demand, APA reports, citing Reuters.
As of 0312 GMT, spot gold climbed 1.9% to $4,411.14 per ounce, a one-week high. U.S. gold futures for February delivery gained 2.1% to $4,419.90.
"The events in Venezuela have reignited safe-haven demand, with gold and silver among the beneficiaries as investors look to protect against geopolitical risks," said Tim Waterer, KCM Trade's chief market analyst.
The U.S. captured Maduro on Saturday, in an operation that reportedly caused civilian deaths. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has taken over as interim leader and said that Maduro remains president.
Geopolitical tensions, combined with interest rate cuts, robust central bank purchases and inflows into exchange-traded funds contributed to bullion's 64% gains last year, its biggest annual gain since 1979. It hit a record high of $4,549.71 on December 26, 2025.
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Anna Paulson said on Saturday that further central bank rate cuts could be some way off after an active campaign of easing last year.
Her comments come as investors still expect at least two rate cuts by the U.S. Federal Reserve this year.
Waterer added that investors are focused on non-farm payroll data due Friday for more cues on potential Fed rate cuts.
Non-yielding assets tend to do well in a low-interest-rate environment and during times of geopolitical or economic uncertainty.
Spot silver added 4.4% to $75.82 per ounce, after hitting an all-time high of $83.62 on December 29. Silver ended the year surging 147%, far outpacing gold, in what was its best ever year on-record.
Silver was propelled to fresh highs by its designation as a critical U.S. mineral last year as well as supply constraints in the face of rising industrial and investment demand.
Spot platinum was up 2.2% at $2,190.55 per ounce, after rising to an all-time high of $2,478.50 last Monday. It rose more than 5% in early Asia hours to a one-week high. Palladium was 1.8% higher at $1,667.45 per ounce.
Seabridge Gold Price Performance
Seabridge Gold Inc. (TSE:SEA) 's stock price hit a new 52-week high on Monday. The stock traded as high as C$44.71 and last traded at C$44.56, with a volume of 92386 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at C$40.92.
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 58.83, a quick ratio of 3.34 and a current ratio of 2.28. The firm has a market capitalization of C$4.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -79.24 and a beta of 1.77. The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$37.46 and a 200-day moving average of C$29.81.
About Seabridge Gold
Seabridge Gold Inc is a development stage company involved in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration, and development of gold properties sited in North America. The company's principal projects include the Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell property located in British Columbia, the Courageous Lake property located in the Northwest Territories and its newly acquired Iksut Property located in northwestern British Columbia. It has various other mineral resource projects throughout North America.
The smelter produced the first anodes in December 2025, approximately five weeks after the start of its heat-up process.
Ivanhoe Mines anticipates that by 2026, sales will surpass production levels as it processes 20,000t of stockpiled copper in concentrate into 99.7% pure copper anodes. Credit: North Root/Shutterstock.com.
Ivanhoe Mines has announced the initial production of copper anodes at its Kamoa-Kakula smelter in Africa.
The direct-to-blister facility, said to be Africa’s largest copper smelter, has a capacity of 500,000 tonnes (t) per annum.
The smelter produced the first anodes in December 2025, approximately five weeks after the start of its heat-up process and just one week after receiving its first concentrate feed.
Ivanhoe Mines anticipates that by 2026, sales will surpass production levels as it processes 20,000t of stockpiled copper in concentrate into 99.7% pure copper anodes.
This strategy aims to take advantage of near-record copper prices.
The ramp-up phase of the smelter is expected to continue through 2026 and reach a steady-state production rate by the end of the year.
During this period, Kamoa-Kakula’s management plans to prioritise processing concentrates produced by its three concentrators on-site.
Any surplus will be treated at the Lualaba Copper Smelter near Kolwezi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
It is estimated that unsold stocks of copper in concentrate will decrease from 37,000t to around 17,000t throughout 2026.
The smelter also recently produced its first batch of byproduct sulphuric acid.
With annual production capacity forecast at up to 700,000t of high-strength sulphuric acid, this byproduct is expected to meet local demand, particularly after Zambia’s export ban in September 2025.
The first sale has already been completed, with deliveries forthcoming.
Ivanhoe Mines founder and executive co-chairman Robert Friedland said: “The first production of copper anodes from our world-class smelter is a defining moment for Kamoa-Kakula.
“This achievement is the culmination of a $1.1bn [C$1.51bn] investment, 18 million man-hours of disciplined execution, and an outstanding health and safety record that reflects the professionalism and commitment of everyone involved.”
In terms of infrastructure developments, Kamoa-Kakula has installed a 60MW uninterruptible power supply system and expects its solar power site to be operational by the second quarter of 2026.
Moreover, mining operations at Kakula have achieved completion of stage two dewatering and have started selective mining on the eastern side earlier than planned.
Dewatering on the western side has enabled access to higher-grade ore areas.
During the December 26-January 1 week, the 44 Chinese alumina refiners under Mysteel's regular tracking produced 1.83 million tonnes of metallurgical-grade alumina, down marginally by 0.5% from the previous week, according to Mysteel's weekly survey.
The modest decline in output was largely the result of short-term maintenance stoppages at two refiners in Southwest China's Guizhou province, the survey found. One refiner began a week's maintenance on a calcinator from last Tuesday, while another launched routine maintenance early last week that is expected to last a fortnight.
However, the slight production drop did little to ease the oversupply situation in the spot alumina market, as downstream consumption showed no improvement, market watchers noted. Alumina demand from primary aluminium smelters remained flat last week, with the 89 smelters that Mysteel tracks consuming a total of 1.65 million tonnes of alumina during the week, ticking up by a tiny 0.006% from the prior week.
Alumina inventories climbed higher during the same week. As of January 1, total stocks across China's ten major ports, 44 producers, 89 smelters, and rail yards or in transit – all regularly monitored by Mysteel – had reached 5.24 million tonnes, up 1.4% on week and 41.6% on year, Mysteel's tracking data showed. This represented a fresh peak since Mysteel began the survey in January 2022.
The primary driver for the mounting stocks was an increase in portside inventories, fuelled by arrivals of alumina at a few northern ports. By January 1, inventories at the ten major ports regularly tracked by Mysteel had jumped by 12.9% on week to 158,000 tonnes, Mysteel's survey showed. Qingdao port in East China's Shandong province recorded the sharpest increase, with stocks surging 200% from a week earlier, while Panjin port in Northeast China's Liaoning province saw a 50% on-week rise.
During the final week of 2025, the decline in Chinese spot alumina prices moderated but the market remained weak, with trading sparse ahead the New Year's Day holiday over January 1-3. The national average spot price assessed by Mysteel for smelter-grade alumina with a purity above 98.6% was Yuan 2,698/tonne ($386/t) on December 31, down by 0.9% on week but easing from the previous week's 1.4% on-week decrease.
Written by Iris Pang, pangjunyu@mysteel.com
Tightened supply outlook and long-term demand bets have taken the three-month LME aluminium contract to USD 3,015.50 per tonne for the first time in more than three years, as of Friday, January 2, 2026. Perhaps, this is the beginning of price rally as projected by many market analysts for 2026. China’s self-imposed 45-million-tonne cap on primary aluminium production, trade restrictions driven by tariffs, and smelter shutdowns caused by prolonged energy crises have constrained global supply of the metal. Meanwhile, demand remains resilient, creating a widening gap that has set the stage for a price surge.
Global deficit outlook strengthens price momentum
Market intelligence projects a global deficit of around 2 million tonnes in 2026, sending the aluminium prices to an average of USD 2,900 per tonne. The price may further uptick if global industrial activity picks up creating more demand for aluminium in the market. However, the production growth is unlikely to keep pace with demand as China nears its cap and energy crises still loom in many parts of the world limiting production. Although Indonesia is adding new primary aluminium capacities of 705,000 tonnes, raising total output to 1.4 million tonnes, yet this expansion is unlikely to offset the deficit or bring a global balance until later 2026.
Until October 2025, Indonesia’s year-to-date primary aluminium exports were 414,600 tonnes, up by 71 per cent Y-o-Y from 243,000 tonnes during the corresponding period of the previous year. A balance can be struck only if this momentum continues. However, it is also to be noted that Indonesia exports 70 per cent of its shipments to China as the latter has a significant share in Indonesia’s alumina and aluminium production. In 2024, China secured a total of 325,000 tonnes of unwrought aluminium from Indoneisa.
Sydney, Jan 6, 2026, 16:58 AEDT — After-hours
Fortescue Ltd shares rose on Tuesday, buoyed by a fresh lift in iron ore prices that kept demand steady for Australia’s heavyweight miners. Fortescue was last up 1.56% at A$22.84, after trading between A$22.00 and A$22.84.
The move matters because iron ore is Fortescue’s core earnings engine, and the raw material began 2026 on firmer footing in China. The most-traded May iron ore contract in Dalian gained 0.95% on Monday to 797 yuan a tonne, while the Singapore benchmark rose to $105.65, underpinned by mill restocking ahead of February’s Lunar New Year holiday and tight domestic supply.
Liquidity remains patchy after the holiday break, which can exaggerate moves in large, widely held stocks. “Markets are still in holiday mood,” said Craig Sidney, a senior investment adviser at Shaw and Partners, adding that activity typically picks up later in January; on Monday, miners rose to a record close with Fortescue and BHP up 1.6% each.
Fortescue sells most of its Pilbara iron ore into Asia, leaving the stock tightly tethered to Chinese steel demand and benchmark pricing. When iron ore rises, investors tend to mark up expected cashflows and dividends; when it falls, the reverse can happen quickly.
At Tuesday’s levels, Fortescue is trading near the top end of its 52-week band of A$13.18 to A$23.38. Its market capitalisation was about A$70.3 billion, placing it among the ASX’s largest resource stocks.
What traders watch next is straightforward: the direction of iron ore futures in Dalian and Singapore, and whether China’s restocking demand holds into late January. Any sign that steel mills have finished building inventories can cool the bid for bulk commodities and, by extension, iron ore miners.
The risk for Fortescue bulls is that the early-year support for iron ore fades faster than expected or that steel margins tighten, prompting mills to curb output. With earnings concentrated in one commodity, the stock tends to amplify swings in iron ore sentiment.
https://ts2.tech/en/fortescue-shares-rise-as-iron-ore-firms-fmg-investors-eye-jan-22-output-report/
Iron ore shakeup begins as Simandou’s first boat heads for China
Bloomberg News | December 3, 2025 | 7:24 am Markets Africa China Iron Ore
Iron ore shipment. (Reference image by henkerik, Flickr.)
The first commercial shipment of iron ore from a massive new mine in Guinea is on its way to China, marking the start of a major shift in global supply of the steelmaking material.
The Winning Youth vessel — loaded with iron ore from the $23 billion Simandou mine — set sail on Tuesday evening from the West African nation, according to data from ship-tracker Kpler. It‘s expected to reach China by mid-January, data showed.
Simandou’s huge scale means its supplies will upend the iron ore trade, with high-grade reserves that offer top consumer China an alternative to the dominant flows from Australia and Brazil. The mine, which is split into four blocks involving Rio Tinto, Winning Consortium Simandou and other Chinese firms, is aiming for an ambitious full ramp-up over the next 2.5 years.
The shipment comes three weeks after an opening ceremony that marked the start of barge-loading, which precedes the transfer of material onto full-size Capesize ships. The time it took to load this first vessel highlights anticipated operational challenges as exports ramp up.
The project has also jolted freight markets, shipbrokers say, spiking demand for cargo space on Capesizes and nudging their daily earnings to new highs. An index of weighted averages of earnings on main Capesize routes, as compiled by the Baltic Exchange, reached $38,427 per day on Tuesday, its highest in two years.
The Winning Youth departed from the Morebaya port in Guinea that was specially built for Simandou iron ore, and is heading to the Majishan port in China’s eastern province of Zhejiang.
https://www.mining.com/web/iron-ore-shakeup-begins-as-simandous-first-boat-heads-for-china/
