#IGCommodityChat: exploring base metal markets

Base metals are a vital commodity, used throughout human activity, which is why metals such as copper, zinc, nickel, lead and aluminium are considered a key resource for economic growth. During periods of economic expansion, analysts and investors look to changes in the base metal market, as growing infrastructure increases the demand for these commodities.

The shift toward renewable energies has contributed to the demand for base metals, as solar and wind technologies require vast amounts of copper, steel and iron. And as society moves toward electrification, with everything from cars to pacemakers starting to use lithium-ion batteries, there will be a far higher need for metals. But with the current demand already creating supply deficits, there are concerns that mining companies cannot keep up with consumers.

With so many questions about base metals trading, we’ll be taking a look at what is driving the price of these vital commodities. You can watch the live stream at 1pm (UK time) on Thursday 6 December via the trading platform, or our YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages.

About the experts

Daniel Lacalle is a Spanish economist and global influencer. He has more than 25 years of experience in the energy and finance sector, with a background as a global economy professor and a financial analyst. Daniel is also a best-selling author and collaborator with CNBC, Focus Economics and the Wall Street Journal.

John Meyer is a partner and mining analyst at the investment services company SP Angel. Extel has ranked John as the number one UK small-cap metals and mining analyst eight times throughout his career. Previously, John has worked for a variety of leading securities houses, as well as Goldman Sachs, SocGen and Montagu Mining Finance.

What will we talk about?

The discussion will cover a wide range of topics that relate to base metals trading, including:

• How political unrest impacts base metal supply
• What the effect of the US-China trade war has been on base metal prices
• How global growth (or a lack thereof) is impacting global demand
• The base metal mining stocks to watch

There will also be a live Q&A during the session, so you can put forward any topics you’d like Daniel and John to discuss, or any questions you want answered. Post your questions to the #IGCommodityChat Community page, or use #IGCommodityChat on Twitter or Facebook to get involved.