Moody’s puts 55 miners on review for downgrade
Moody’s Investors Service has put the credit ratings of 55 mining companies under review due to poor market conditions, noting this downturn marks a “unprecedented shift” for the mining industry.
Iron Ore
TSX rises on higher oil prices, Jan. 18-22
The Toronto stock market ended in positive territory, as oil prices strengthened and investors considered possible monetary easing by central banks in Europe and Japan. The S&P/TSX Composite Index rose 2.6% to close at 12,389.58. The…
Industry performance will remain under pressure in 2016, Moody’s says
After a “material compression” of industry earnings in 2015, Moody’s Investors Service forecasts that the earnings contraction will continue this year.
Editorial: Top stories of 2015
Phew, was 2015 a tough year for miners! As we look back and tie a bow around the fourth year of the downturn in commodity prices and the mining sector, we see an industry in defensive mode, spending more time and energy reacting to harsh,…
US stocks slip, Dec. 11-17
U.S. equities closed lower, despite receiving a boost after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.5% to 17,495.84, while the S&P 500 Index lost 0.5% to close at 2,041.89. The Nasdaq dipped 0.8%…
Champion Iron buys Bloom Lake for $10.5M
Champion Iron (TSX: CIA; ASX: CIA) is taking advantage of the commodities crash to snatch the shuttered Bloom Lake iron ore mine in the Labrador Trough for a fraction of its previous purchase price.
Scotiabank’s Pat Mohr on metal prices, China demand
Extremely challenging market conditions will persist for some time, but the resource sector can look forward to supply-side tightness in the medium-term, along with better metal prices, Pat Mohr, a vice-president and economics and commodity…
US stocks rise, Nov. 13-19
U.S. equities gained after the Federal Reserve signalled a possible December rate hike at its last policy meeting, suggesting the U.S. economy is getting stronger. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.6% to finish at 17,448.07, the S&P…
Cliffs shutters Northshore amid weak iron ore demand
Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE: CLF), the largest U.S.-based iron ore producer, is temporarily closing its Northshore Mining operation in Minnesota by Dec. 1, to reduce its record-high iron ore inventory levels amid weaker iron ore demand in…
Editorial: Copper, iron, oil, gold prices all head south
Miners across the globe gritted their teeth in mid-November as commodity prices slumped further, continuing a decline that began more than a month ago.
Adventures in automation
Leaders in the mining industry are starting to recognize that automation is part of the answer to the sector’s productivity problems, says Michael Murphy, chief engineer, mining technology enabled solutions with leading mining sector…
How analytics is transforming mining
After the excess investment and focus on production volume during the commodities supercycle, the new mantra of the mining sector is all about productivity.