“Gold’s status as a haven may now be tarnished in the eyes of some as the precious metal is falling in price even as war roils the Middle East and financial markets alike, and some may even be tempted to say that the third major bull run in the commodity since 1971 is now over,” says AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould.

Delaware Depository, a COMEX/NYMEX Depository for the storage and delivery of gold, gold (enhanced delivery), silver, platinum, and palladium deliverable against the Exchange’s respective futures contracts, will implement new rates in connection with Storage of Gold, Gold (Enhanced Delivery), and Silver at its facilities located in Delaware. The new rates reflect the maximum amounts of fees that can be charged and will be effective July 1, 2026.

U.S. recycling technology firm Nth Cycle has signed a 10-year metal supply agreement with commodity trader Trafigura worth about $1.1 billion. The partnership will recover metals such as copper and nickel from scrap and industrial waste using electrochemical refining technology. Analysts say such collaborations could significantly expand secondary copper supply.

According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, in February 2026, overall, the decline in the selling prices of commercial residential properties in 70 large and medium-sized cities continued to narrow on a MoM basis, while prices fell YoY. The number of cities where the selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties rose or remained flat MoM increased from the previous month. Wang Zhonghua, Chief Statistician of the Urban Department of the National Bureau of Statistics, Interpreted the Statistical Data on Changes in the Selling Prices of Commercial Residential Properties in February 2026. Changes in the Selling Prices of Commercial Residential Properties in 70 Large and Medium-Sized Cities in February 2026 The MoM Decline in Commercial Residential Property Selling Prices Continued to Narrow in February — Wang Zhonghua, Chief Statistician of the Urban Department of the National Bureau of Statistics, Interpreted the Statistical Data on Changes in the Selling Prices of Commercial Residential Properties in February 2026 In February 2026, overall, the decline in the selling prices of commercial residential properties in 70 large and medium-sized cities continued to narrow on a MoM basis, while prices fell YoY. The number of cities where the selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties rose or remained flat MoM increased from the previous month. I. The MoM Decline in Commercial Residential Property Selling Prices Continued to Narrow In February, the selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties in first-tier cities were flat MoM, compared with a 0.3% decline in the previous month. Among them, Beijing and Shanghai both rose 0.2%, Guangzhou was flat, and Shenzhen fell 0.3%. The selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties in second- and third-tier cities fell 0.2% and 0.3% MoM, respectively, with the declines narrowing by 0.1 percentage point in both cases. Among the 70 large and medium-sized cities, 10 saw MoM increases in the selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties, while 7 were flat, for a combined increase of 9 cities from the previous month. In February, the selling prices of second-hand residential properties in first-tier cities fell 0.1% MoM, with the decline narrowing by 0.4 percentage point from the previous month. Among them, Beijing and Shanghai rose 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively, while Guangzhou and Shenzhen fell 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively. The selling prices of second-hand residential properties in second- and third-tier cities fell 0.4% and 0.5% MoM, respectively, with the declines narrowing by 0.1 percentage point in both cases. II. Commercial Residential Property Selling Prices Fell YoY In February, the selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties in first-tier cities fell 2.2% YoY, with the decline widening by 0.1 percentage point from the previous month. Among them, Shanghai rose 4.2%, while Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen fell 2.3%, 5.1%, and 5.5%, respectively. The selling prices of newly built commercial residential properties in second- and third-tier cities fell 3.1% and 4.0% YoY, respectively, with the declines widening by 0.2 and 0.1 percentage point, respectively. In February, the selling prices of second-hand residential properties in first-tier cities fell 7.6% YoY, with the decline unchanged from the previous month. Among them, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen fell by 8.4%, 6.2%, 8.5%, and 7.1%, respectively. The selling prices of second-hand residential properties in second-tier cities declined 6.2% YoY, unchanged from the previous month. The selling prices of second-hand residential properties in third-tier cities declined 6.3% YoY, with the decline widening by 0.2 percentage points.

Middle East tensions have sparked a massive steel trade "mismatch." Iran's blocked exports created a 2.3-million-ton billet vacuum in Southeast Asia, while the Red Sea crisis stalled China's flat steel shipments to the Gulf. Consequently, China and India are rapidly absorbing SEA's diverted billet orders. SMM projects that blocked flat steel returning to China's domestic market, combined with surging overseas billet demand, will accelerate the narrowing of the domestic HRC-rebar spread.

[Sinomine Resource Group Engages with the Zimbabwean Government to Restart Its Lithium Export Business] Sinomine Resource Group confirmed that, after this African country recently suspended shipments of lithium concentrates, the company had been actively engaging with Zimbabwean government authorities to restart its lithium export business. The Chinese miner disclosed this development on Friday in response to an investor inquiry via the Shenzhen Stock Exchange’s official interactive platform. These talks came at a critical time for both Sinomine Resource Group and Zimbabwe. Lithium remained a sought-after mineral because of its essential role in producing batteries used in EVs and renewable energy storage systems. Zimbabwe, which holds substantial lithium reserves, had continued tightening its regulatory framework to ensure more value addition remained in China, rather than allowing the export of raw ore or materials that had undergone only preliminary processing. Sinomine Resource Group said in a statement that it was currently working closely with Zimbabwean government authorities on a new export approval application. The company stressed that the dialogue remained ongoing and formed part of its broader efforts to align with the country’s latest policies and compliance requirements. Although there was no clear timetable yet for when exports would resume, the engagement sent a positive signal that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. Source: https://www.chemanalyst.com/ [Vulcan Energy Achieves Drilling and Permitting Milestones at Its Geothermal Lithium Project in Germany] The company had officially broken ground at the Trappelberg drilling site in the Rohrbach area near Landau. This was Vulcan’s second drilling site after Schleidberg, where the company had completed the drilling and testing of its first geothermal well. Preparatory work at Trappelberg had begun to support the start of drilling in H2 2026. At present, a deep groundwater monitoring well had been completed to ensure the protection of near-surface aquifers during construction and drilling operations. Schleidberg and Trappelberg were 2 of the 5 new drilling sites that Vulcan would develop in the region. Thorsten Weimann, Chief Development Officer and Managing Director of Vulcan Energie Ressourcen GmbH, said: “The groundbreaking ceremony at Trappelberg marks an important step forward in the further development of our Lionheart project. With this new drilling site, we are further developing the geothermal reservoir and laying the foundation for climate-neutral heating in the region and sustainable lithium production in Europe.” Source: https://www.thinkgeoenergy.com/ [Core Lithium’s Finniss Project Secures a Strategic Financing Package of AUD 290 million] The fundamentals of global battery demand were reshaping investment strategies in the critical minerals sector, placing Australia’s lithium industry at a critical turning point. The combined effects of supply chain diversification needs, advances in energy storage technology, and geopolitical factors have created an environment in which strategic positioning determines the long-term value creation potential of mining. In addition, the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project, backed by A$290 million, demonstrates how well-developed critical minerals strategies can unlock previously stalled projects through innovative financing structures. Against this backdrop, complex financing structures and operational optimization approaches have become key differentiators for projects seeking to capture the evolving market dynamics of the current lithium investment cycle. The sophisticated financing structure underpinning the restart of Core Lithium's Finniss project shows that contemporary mining finance has evolved beyond traditional debt-and-equity models into a strategic consortium model that disperses risk while maximizing operational synergies. Moreover, this financing approach reflects a broader trend across the mining sector. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/ [Copper, Cobalt, and Lithium Mines: US Critical Minerals Growth] In early 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, together with senior US officials including Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, received representatives from 54 countries and the European Commission at the Critical Minerals Ministerial meeting. The US announced new bilateral frameworks, financing initiatives exceeding $30 billion, and launched the Forum for Resource and Geostrategic Engagement (FORGE), aimed at building secure, diversified, and resilient critical minerals supply chains. Initiatives such as the Orion-Glencore memorandum of understanding and "Project Vault" indicate the US government's commitment to incentivizing private-sector investment and ensuring a stable and reliable supply of cobalt, copper, and other strategic materials, including those from the DRC. Source: https://miningdigital.com/ [Atlantic Lithium's Ewoyaa Project Financing Secures a Strategic Investment of $16.4 million] The global critical minerals landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation, and institutional capital allocation strategies have moved beyond traditional mining investment models. Pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, and strategic investors now require more sophisticated financing structures to align long-term capital commitments with project de-risking milestones. This shift indicates the growing maturity of financing in the resources sector, which is moving away from speculative early-stage funding toward a more infrastructure-like investment approach that places greater emphasis on predictable returns rather than commodity price speculation. Contemporary lithium project development reflects this evolution, with financing solutions from diversified funding sources incorporating conditional capital structures, local ownership requirements, and ESG compliance frameworks. The combination of milestone-based warrant instruments, strategic partnership agreements, and domestic exchange listings has created an integrated financing ecosystem that balances capital efficiency with political and economic considerations. In addition, these innovations in the lithium industry are continuing to reshape the investment landscape. Source: https://discoveryalert.com.au/

[SMM Tin Midday Commentary: Under Macro Pressure, SHFE Tin Contracts Fell to 366,000, and Trading in the Spot Market Was Relatively Active]

[Macro Pressures Combined With High Inventory, SHFE Aluminum Remained Under Pressure at Elevated Levels in the Short Term] Continued destocking in LME inventory provided bottom support for LME aluminum, but amid tightening fund liquidity and profit-taking by bulls, upward momentum was insufficient, and the backwardation structure weakened somewhat. In China, social inventory rose to a high for the same period in nearly five years, and the inventory buildup cycle had not ended. High inventory and weak spot fundamentals jointly weighed on upward momentum. The divergence between domestic and overseas drivers continued, the SHFE/LME price ratio kept weakening, and SHFE aluminum fell below the key threshold of 25,000 yuan/mt, remaining mainly under pressure at elevated levels in the short term.

According to The Information, citing people familiar with the matter, Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent have turned to domestic chipmakers to ease pressure from the worsening global memory chip shortage. The companies are reportedly in talks to purchase more commodity memory chips (i.e., DRAM) and NAND flash memory from two Chinese firms. The report said that in recent months, Alibaba, ByteDance, and Tencent have sought additional chip supplies from Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Today, iron ore futures on the Dalian Commodity Exchange opened lower but then rose, with the most-traded I2605 contract closing at 750.5 yuan/mt, up 0.27% from the previous trading session.