The latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
0738 GMT - Glencore continues to be Berenberg's preferred large-cap diversified mining stock. The London-listed miner has the most compelling organic copper growth story out of all its peers, Berenberg analysts write. The miner's trading division will continue to benefit this year from volatile energy markets, and it should also gain from elevated thermal coal prices, they add. Shares rise 1.5% to 559.60 pence.(adam.whittaker@wsj.com)
0718 GMT - European stock indexes open higher, with utilities and mining stocks leading the continent. All sectors except energy are in the green as the Stoxx 600 adds 0.6%. London's FTSE 100 rises 0.7%, led by a 2.3% gain for utilities group SSE. Metals miner Rio Tinto gains 2.2%. The French CAC 40 rises 0.3%, with hotel group Accor up 1.65%. Airbus adds 1.5%. In Germany, the DAX is up 0.6%. Heidelberg Materials and Rheinmetall gain 2% and 1.4%, respectively, as oil prices fall from earlier highs. Spain's IBEX 35 rises 0.8%, while the Italian FTSE MIB adds 0.5%. The Dutch AEX gains 0.5%, with semiconductor names trading steady. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)
0714 GMT - Uranium prices are heading higher over the medium term, Berenberg analysts write in a note. Uranium has a compelling outlook, which could push prices over $100 a pound by the end of the year, they say. Prices are currently around $90 a pound. Over the near term, new projects in Kazakhstan and Canada face risks that lead to a slower ramp-up of supply, they add. Demand is also set to grow as new nuclear reactors are rolled out, they add. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)
0652 GMT - Amman Mineral Internasional's earnings stand to benefit from its higher gold concentrate output guidance, Nomura's Ahmad Maghfur Usman says in a research report. The Indonesian copper and gold producer raised its 2026 gold-in-concentrate production estimate to 775,000 ounces on better grades, the analyst notes. Accordingly, Nomura lifts its 2026 and 2027 earnings forecasts for the company by 8% and 13%, respectively, mainly driven by volume and mix changes. It raises the stock's target price to 6,400.00 rupiah from 5,400.00 rupiah and maintains a buy rating. Shares are 1.6% higher at 4,550.00 rupiah. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)
0639 GMT - The long-term outlook for mining stocks is positive despite a complicated geopolitical environment, and investors should "buy-the-dip" when markets are volatile, Berenberg analysts say. Miners are at the start of a long-term bull cycle driven by a lack of new supply, resilient demand and low inventories. The analysts' preferred commodities remain uranium, copper and platinum group metals. Gold also remains attractive given complicated and volatile geopolitics, they add in a note. (adam.whittaker@wsj.com)
0142 GMT - Consensus production forecasts for Liontown are set to be downgraded following a final investment decision on the Kathleen Valley mine expansion, says CLSA. "Today's announcement implies 12%/11% downgrades to consensus production forecasts over FY28/29," the broker says. CLSA says it was cautious heading into the approval because of what it says were "overly aggressive ramp/recovery consensus expectations at KV, particularly in FY28/29." The longer-term outlook--post FY30--is more positive, however, implying 7% upside to consensus forecasts, CLSA says. Shares are up 3.7% at A$0.985. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)
1124 GMT - A merger between RHI Magnesita and Vesuvius is strategically sound, but could face competition issues, RBC Capital Markets analysts write. Iron foundries company Vesuvius said it received an offer approach worth 549 pence a share on Aug. 27 that the board was considering. It follows a number of previous approaches over the past year. RBC says the companies would likely need to offer asset sales to get competition approvals. "If the acquisition were to clear at the current level we would see this as attractive," the analysts say. RBC has a sector perform rating on RHI and 28.50 pounds target price. RHI shares are down 3% at 27.40 pounds. Vesuvius shares are up 27% at 475 pence. (ian.walker@wsj.com)
0908 GMT - Short-term price gains in gold and silver will likely be limited as long as the Federal Reserve "remains in inflation-fighting mode," Julius Baer's Carsten Menke writes. Rising U.S. bond yields have pressured the precious metals' prices, which Menke says is due to the real-yield component. This likely reflects the U.S. economy's strength, which could fuel fears of further Fed rate hikes, says the next generation research head. Still, precious metals' decline could be limited, as he expects the Fed to raise rates less frequently than currently priced into money markets. A higher rate environment typically weighs on nonyielding assets like gold. Spot gold rises 0.7% to $4,140.47 a troy ounce.