Lithium prices drop slightly, cobalt derivatives prices rarely stabilize
Cobalt derivatives prices have rarely been stable this week. Entering mid-April, consumer electronics are still in the off-season, and the recovery process of power batteries is slower than expected. The weakness of the terminal finally has a certain inhibitory effect on the upstream surge. The trading price of cobalt derivatives market was flat this week. In terms of lithium salts, SMM believes that there is still some room for decline in lithium carbonate in the second quarter, but the space is limited, mainly because the quality of new lithium carbonate products in the market still needs to be improved.
Electrolytic cobalt: After the Western Easter, foreign media quotes continued to rise slightly, while the domestic speculative market was active in long and short positions, and the disk price fluctuated. Affecting spot transactions, the wait-and-see attitude has intensified. Although mainstream manufacturers and importers have raised their holding costs, they still raise their quotations. However, the willingness to undertake downstream transactions is sluggish, and the main transactions are traders and just-in-demand customers. The current price of SMM electrolytic cobalt is 665,000-683,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is up 3,000 yuan / ton from the previous week.
Cobalt salts and nickel salts: The cobalt salt market fluctuated slightly this week, mainly because the current downstream consumption still did not improve. According to SMM research, the national cobalt sulfate inventory increased in March. The inventory of finished products in the hands of cobalt salt suppliers has increased, but the current cobalt price continues to be high. Some suppliers are worried about the price plummeting and actively ship to control risks. In terms of nickel sulfate, the dual effects of sluggish demand and falling electric nickel prices continued to decline slightly. The price of SMM cobalt sulfate is 140,000-144,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is stable compared with last week. The current price of SMM cobalt chloride is 162,000-166,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is stable compared with last week. The price of SMM nickel sulfate is 26,500-28,500 yuan / ton, and the average price is down 1,000 yuan / ton from last week. Cobalt tetroxide: The cobalt market fluctuated slightly this Thursday, and the quotations of mainstream suppliers no longer rose, waiting for the cost transmission of downstream lithium cobalt oxide prices. The current price of SMM cobalt tetroxide is 495,000-505,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is unchanged from last week.
Cobalt oxide: Cobalt oxide suppliers' quotations were flat this week, and the downstream acceptance capacity was limited. To minimize their own demand for cobalt oxide, the cobalt oxide market was lightly traded this week. The current price of SMM cobalt oxide is 470,000-480,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is unchanged from last week.
In terms of cobalt powder, the price of cobalt powder market suppliers is firm at 780,000 yuan / ton, but the current cobalt price fluctuates, there is a certain wait-and-see attitude in the downstream, the procurement is more cautious, and the transaction volume is insufficient. The price of SMM cobalt powder is 745,000-755,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is the same as last week. Ternary precursors: The ternary precursor market was stable this week. This week, the market was dominated by stable shipments with sporadic trading. The price of SMM ternary precursor (type 523) is 144,000-148,000 yuan/ton, and the average price is the same as last week.
Lithium carbonate: The market price of lithium carbonate began to differentiate this week. Demand has always been sluggish, but the release of lithium salt supply has continued. Although it will take some time to release qualified and high-quality lithium salt production capacity, the market mentality has become unstable. Small and medium-sized suppliers and traders have begun to ship, hoping to reduce their own inventory and reduce risks. . Although the supplier's shipping quotations are positive, the market has a strong attitude of buying and selling, and still maintains the habit of purchasing a small number of times. The price of SMM lithium carbonate was 148,000-150,000 yuan/ton, and the average price was down 10,000 yuan/ton from the previous week.
Lithium cobalt oxide: Lithium cobalt oxide market transactions are further concentrated in the hands of high-end battery manufacturers. The current mainstream lithium cobalt oxide suppliers offer prices above 500,000 yuan, but only some high-end digital battery manufacturers can accept this price. Shipment prices of small and medium-sized lithium cobalt oxide suppliers are still difficult to rise. The price of SMM4.35V lithium cobalt oxide is 485,000-495,000 yuan / ton, and the average price is up 5,000 yuan / ton from last week.
Ternary materials: The ternary market demand is stable. Suppliers said that the order situation in April was basically the same as that in March, and there was no sign of market demand picking up. The price of SMM ternary material (type 523) is 232,000-234,000 yuan per ton, and the average price remains unchanged from last week.
Lithium Iron Phosphate: The lithium iron phosphate market is relatively stable on the whole, and the operating rate in North China and South China has recovered well, but the market momentum in Central China and Southwest China has not improved significantly, and it is still mainly about digesting inventory. The market generally expects that after May, with the end of the subsidy transition period and the implementation of the new subsidy policy in 2018, downstream demand may improve. The price of SMM lithium iron phosphate is 80,000-90,000 yuan / ton, and the average price remains unchanged from last week.
Market outlook: It is expected that the market demand for lithium batteries will be stable in the second quarter, the price of cobalt may fluctuate at a high level, and the price of lithium carbonate will still have a certain downward pressure under the condition of increasing supply.
