The Billion Dollar Copper Theft Industry
For years now, the U.S. has been plagued by an illegal industry driven by a reddish-brown industrial metal. Copper, one of the world’s most popular and demanded metals, has been the subject of an underground movement that has created an incentive to steal. Thieves all across the country have been harvesting the metal in homes and highways, and other structures that are under construction; some even go as far as to steal the metal from already built establishments [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Q2 Earnings Scorecard: Commodity Stock Hits And Misses
2013′s second quarter earnings season was perhaps not what many analysts had expected, as companies across all sectors reported both hits and misses. In the commodity space, Alcoa had set the tone for the start of the season, beating estimates despite falling aluminum prices. And while other commodity stocks also managed to post better-than-expected results, some showed signs of weakness from this year’s commodity slump [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Major Commodity Earnings This Week: FCX, HAL, VLO
As we enter the trenches of earnings season, investors and analysts alike are taking cues from today’s leading companies on where the economy is headed. Thus far, it seems that the results have been a mixed bag, with a number of firms smashing their marks while others fell short. The attention for this week will remain fixated on individual reports to help give a deeper insight into how sustainable to current bull run truly is. Below, we outline some of the most prominent commodity firms slated to report earnings this week [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
The World’s Biggest Copper Producers
Copper has long been one of the most important and popular industrial metals in the world. With 3% per year production growth since 1900, approximately 16 million tons of the metal was produced in 2011, according to the International Copper Study Group. The metal’s wide use is attributable to its availability and recyclability, as well is its metallic properties that make copper an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, and antimicrobial and corrosion resistant [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Caution: Tin Slumps Into Bear Territory
Industrial metals have been on somewhat of a bumpy road so far in 2013, though recent price movements in the copper market have made investors think twice about this corner of the commodities world. Last week, copper futures soared after several encouraging reports from China, the world’s second largest economy and one of the largest consumers of the metal, helped boost optimisim for copper demand. Though copper’s outlook has improved, there is one industrial metal that has not benefited from the rally: tin [for more industrial metals news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Copper Prices Signal Bear Market Is Near
Copper is among the most practical commodities in the world, as the industrial sector relies heavily on the material for a number of uses. Not only does it have wide applications in the industrial world, but the economic space as well. With the nickname “Dr. Copper,” the reddish-brown metal is often used as a proxy for the global economy as a whole, precisely because of the demand created by the industrial world [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Earnings Preview: Good News For Oil, Bad News For Gold And Copper (SCCO, TRP, NEM, SU)
Earnings season for Q1 2013 is well on its way, with several bellwether commodity stocks already reporting better-than-expected results. Agribusiness giant Monsanto Company (MON) posted earnings that significantly beat out estimates: earnings rose 22%, while profits came in at $1.48 billion. Meanwhile, Halliburton (HAL) reported an unprofitable quarter, though the company added $1 billion to reserves tied to litigation involving the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion. Barrick Gold (ABX) also beat analyst expectations, clocking in an EPS of $0.86 [for more oil news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
Copper Drops Into Danger Zone
Metals across the board have suffered steep losses in recent days, with gold’s alarming 9% one-day drop rattling the markets and investor confidence. And while gold remains as one of traders’ top concerns, another metal’s volatile movements has been raising some red flags. Yesterday, copper futures for April delivery tumbled 3.6% to $3.1880 a pound, marking the lowest level since October 2011. The metal has almost dropped 20% from its most recent high, so the probability of copper entering bear territory is quite likely [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
5 Must-Watch Commodity Earnings This Week
With Alcoa (AA) kicking off earnings season last week, investors will spend the next few weeks combing through quarterly statements from their favorite commodity firms. Though Alcoa beat EPS estimates and saw a healthy net income, revenue fell short, leaving a somewhat mixed feeling for the stock. What is perhaps more important than the reports themselves is the particular outlook that each company provides; 2013 has been anything but kind to commodities and investors will pay extra attention to forecasts for the near future [for more commodity news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
A Brief 2000-Year History Of Copper Prices
We have previously talked about the historical use and value of gold and silver, and now we turn to copper. Right off the bat, copper is a very different metal. Like gold, it’s easy to work with for relatively simple tools and technologies, but unlike gold, copper was (and is) quite common and easy to find. Copper has been mined and used for at least 10,000 years and likely vied with meteoric iron as the metal most used in tools [for more copper news and analysis subscribe to our free newsletter].
