Happy Monday
Indications
Nickel 3 month $8.08
Cash Last $7.984
Euro 1.145
Yen 161.75
gold $4208.52
silver $66.50
Copper LME $6.20
Copper Comex $6.36
Cobalt $ 28.50-30.25
Zinc $ 1.64
Tin $ 24.89
Crude $ down 76.50 down 1.34%
Dow Jones closed
FTSE 100 up .45%
Dax down .02%
Hang Seng down .65%
Nikkei up 1.55%
U.S. Dollar index 100.93 up .08%
Quote of the Day
Everything that used to be a sin is now a disease.— Bill Maher
Word of the Day
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Cavalcade most often refers to a series of related things. An older meaning, still in use, is “a procession of riders or carriages”; vehicles or ships in a procession can be referred to as a cavalcade too.
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// Since the high-powered console’s debut late last year, video game companies have steadily unveiled a cavalcade of new games that showcase its groundbreaking graphics.
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Trivia
What is the only mammal that can fly?
Answer: at bottom of page under good read.
The Wall Street Journal found that costs went up in the following categories between 2019 and 2025:
- Emergency repairs (up 175%)
- Home maintenance (85%)
- Insurance (72%)
- Interest (35%)
- Property taxes (31%)
News of Interest
US, Iran, and mediators met in Switzerland for first round of talks. Negotiators worked through the night after Sunday’s talks between the US and Iran in Switzerland got chilly, wrapping up early this morning in local time. As Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived at the Bürgenstock resort for negotiations, President Trump posted on Truth Social that “we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” if they did not rein in Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iranian state media said Trump’s threat violated the agreement the two countries signed last Wednesday. Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan announced that “encouraging progress” had been made. Talks are scheduled to continue for the rest of the week.
Bravo!!
Serena Williams will return to singles at Wimbledon. To quote Michael Scott, “OK, it’s happening. Everybody stay calm.” Tennis legend Serena Williams will compete in singles at Wimbledon next week after accepting a wild-card invitation, following rumors of her imminent return sparked by her recent doubles matches. It’s been almost four years since Williams, 44, “evolved away” from tennis after her run in the singles draw at the 2022 US Open. She will also compete in doubles at Wimbledon with her sister Venus, 46, on a wild-card invitation.—HVL
Nickel & Related Metal News
Hot on the heels of an oil supply squeeze China could soon be hit with a third disruption to deliveries of an important industrial commodity.
A labor dispute is threatening the export of Australian iron ore; an essential raw material consumed in China’s vast steelmaking industry.
Nickel, which is used to make stainless steel and batteries, is also at risk of falling short of Chinese demand as Indonesia tightens its mining approvals process.
Chinese Demand Outpacing Supply
Multiple factors are at work in the growing threats to commodity supplies, but the common element is China’s strong demand outpacing the ability of trading partners to keep pace.
The immediate cause of the oil shortage is a well understood global issue tied to the blocking of shipments out of the Persian Gulf which are expected to normalize over the next few months.
A nickel shortfall is possible as Indonesia forces Chinese controlled miners and smelter operators to cut production in order to preserve limited reserves of ore and limit environmental damage.
The Chinese Government, according to a report yesterday in London’s Financial Times newspaper, has lodged a protest via its Jakarta embassy with the Indonesian Government over the new nickel regulations.
Good Read
Answer to today's trivia question: The Bat.
Midjourney, a firm best known for AI image generation, has announcedthat it is developing a full-body ultrasound scanner that can map the entire human body in about 60 seconds, potentially turning advanced internal imaging into a routine service.
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According to provisional CDC data, the US infant mortality rate fell to an all-time low in 2025, reaching fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.
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The number of movie tickets sold in 2026 is up 7% so far from last year, according to research firm EntTelligence, and the domestic box office total is at its highest level since before the pandemic, per Rentrak.—BC