The Financial Post has a story about why uranium prices have failed to reach the highs of 2007, despite experts saying the outlook for the nuclear metal is brighter than other commodities.
Big hedge funds and other sophisticated financial players were responsible for the spot price of uranium increasing by 800% between 2004 and 2007, but the financial meltdown last year has forced many of them sell their contracts.
Many utilities bought up large after the forced sales and are well stocked at the moment.
As a result, without those funds buying urnanium, the price has remained low.
Meanwhile, the article also says the increase in cooper and nickle prices is due to stockpiling and speculative investment from China, where relaxed lending standards from its banks are seeing investors take advantage to get a slice of the action:
When spot uranium prices soared to nearly US$140 a pound in 2007, critics blamed hedge funds and other financial speculators for pushing prices to absurd levels unmatched by any other commodity.
Whatever happened to those days?
Commodity prices have been on a tear since March, largely due to buying by speculators playing an economic recovery. Yet uranium – the former ground zero for speculation – is not joining in, even though many industry experts say that the outlook for the nuclear metal is better than most other commodities. READ HERE.
Filed under: America, Energy Markets, Precious Metals, Speculation | Tagged: 2008 financial meltdown, banks, china, commodities, cooper and nickle prices, Financial Post, financial speculators, hedge funds, investors, relaxed lending standards, speculative investment, spot prices, stockpiling, uranium, uranium prices | Leave a comment »
Commodify Me! 