Iron ore slips due to risk-averse stance amid tepid demand, higher supply

BEIJING: Dalian and Singapore iron ore futures extended losses on Friday as market participants adopted a risk-averse stance due to lacklustre steel demand during the week and on the prospects of higher ore supply.

The most-traded May iron ore futures contract on Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) traded 1.56% lower at 850.5 yuan ($124.27) a tonne, as of 0213 GMT, posting losses of 5.4% so far this week. On the Singapore Exchange, the benchmark April iron ore was 0.23% lower at $117.95.

“Steel mills continued to maintain relatively low (iron ore) inventories (at their own warehouses), which is especially the case after steel margins shrank rapidly following drastic (steel) price fall. Also, the pick-up in supply of steel scrap sent some pressure to iron ore,” analysts at Sinosteel Futures said in a note.

The recovery pace in downstream steel demand, steel prices performance as well as steel margins movement will jointly impact iron ore prices at the moment, analysts added. Forecasts of higher supply also added pressure on the iron ore market.

“Top iron ore exporters are expected to increase their shipments in coming months as supply side disruptions ease. This comes following signs of weakening demand,” analysts at ANZ bank said in a report.

Similarly, steel futures prices weakened further after slower-than-expected demand undermined sentiment. Rebar on the Shanghai Futures Exchange fell 1.21% to 4,075 yuan a tonne, hot-rolled coil dipped 1.43%, wire rod slid 0.73%. Stainless steel edged up 0.16%.

Prices of the other steelmaking raw materials such as coking coal and coke were mixed, with the former climbing 0.25% and the latter falling 0.24%.