Global Materials | Industrials | Commodities

Rahul Jain

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>Copper treatment and refining charges have collapsed from ~$80/ton in 2023 to around –$40/ton by mid-2025, meaning smelters are effectively paying to process concentrate.</li>
<li>Smelter Cutbacks: Persistent margin losses have triggered curtailments and shutdowns across major smelters in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, removing an estimated 1.3–1.5 Mtpa of refined capacity.</li>
<li>With refined supply under strain, low exchange stocks, and surging Asian premiums, the market risks flipping into a structural deficit—setting the stage for further upside in copper prices into 2026.</li>
</ul>


Copper treatment and refining charges have collapsed from ~$80/ton in 2023 to around –$40/ton by mid-2025, meaning smelters are effectively paying to process concentrate.
Smelter Cutbacks: Persistent margin losses have triggered curtailments and shutdowns across major smelters in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, removing an estimated 1.3–1.5 Mtpa of refined capacity.
With refined supply under strain, low exchange stocks, and surging Asian premiums, the market risks flipping into a structural deficit—setting the stage for further upside in copper prices into 2026.


Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Anglo and Teck have decided to merge, creating a ~$53bn copper-focused mining major that ranks #4 globally with ~1.2 Mt of output in 2024.</li>
<li>The deal targets ~$800m in annual savings by year four, though history suggests full delivery is unlikely.</li>
<li>The combined group offers strong leverage to copper’s structural growth and top-3 scale in seaborne met coal as a cash engine.</li>
</ul>


Anglo and Teck have decided to merge, creating a ~$53bn copper-focused mining major that ranks #4 globally with ~1.2 Mt of output in 2024.
The deal targets ~$800m in annual savings by year four, though history suggests full delivery is unlikely.
The combined group offers strong leverage to copper’s structural growth and top-3 scale in seaborne met coal as a cash engine.


Anglo–Teck: Building a Copper Champion with Coal Cash Flow

APAC IPOs & Placements, Aequitas Research

Nicholas Tan

APAC IPOs & Placements

IPOs and Placements coverage across Asia Pacific

Aequitas Research

We cover all listing across the Asia Pacific along with follow-up placements. As of Dec 2020, our team had covered 539 IPOs with a hit rate of 73.5% and 685 placements with a hit rate of 66.8%.

We combine fundamental bottom-up views with our proprietary quantitative framework to provide a holistic coverage across new listings and placements. Our coverage includes pre-IPO notes before the deal is launched, follow-up analysis once the deal is live and post-listing trading analysis as well.

Equity Capital Markets

<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/zijin-gold" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:45448:1" rel="noopener">Zijin Gold (2579355D HK) </a>is looking to raise up to US$3.0bn in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.</li>
<li>It is a global leading gold mining company formed by combining all of the gold mines of Zijin Mining, located outside of China. </li>
<li>We have looked at the company's past performance in our previous note. In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison.</li>
</ul>



Zijin Gold (2579355D HK) is looking to raise up to US$3.0bn in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO.
It is a global leading gold mining company formed by combining all of the gold mines of Zijin Mining, located outside of China. 
We have looked at the company's past performance in our previous note. In this note, we will undertake a peer comparison.


<ul>
<li>Lithium oversupply of ~20% persists despite recent mine headlines, keeping long-term price pressure intact.</li>
<li>CATL (300750 CH / 3750 HK) remains cushioned, with lower lithium prices enhancing its cost advantage.</li>
<li>Albemarle (ALB US) and other upstream miners face margin squeeze as oversupply caps near-term upside.</li>
</ul>


Lithium oversupply of ~20% persists despite recent mine headlines, keeping long-term price pressure intact.
CATL (300750 CH / 3750 HK) remains cushioned, with lower lithium prices enhancing its cost advantage.
Albemarle (ALB US) and other upstream miners face margin squeeze as oversupply caps near-term upside.


Lithium Oversupply Persists: CATL (300750 CH / 3750 HK) Cushioned, Albemarle (ALB US) Under Pressure

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One, Periscope Analytics

Brian Freitas

Pan-Asia Index Rebalances/ Events/ Delta One

Periscope Analytics

Periscope Analytics focuses on event-driven trades across Asia Pacific and provides comprehensive, timely and systematic coverage of index changes to major Asia Pacific indices in a structured manner.

The analysis includes forecasted inclusions and exclusions to all major Asian indices that have significant amount of tracking assets, including estimates of passive buy/sell flow on the stocks. The service also provides commentary and impact of market consultations, ground rule changes, and other events (IPOs, spin-offs, M&A) that could lead to index changes and passive flow.

Periscope Analytics works with multi-strategy hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, stat arb trading groups and long-only investors that invest and trade in the Asia Pacific region with the data being used to trade index rebalances, avoid pre-positioning and passive flow, and to time entry into and exit from stocks.

Event-Driven Trades Across Asia Pacific

Index Rebalance

Northern Star Resources / Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>The <a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/vaneck-gold-miners-etf-usa" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:32924:1" rel="noopener">VanEck Gold Miners ETF/USA (GDX US)</a> will change benchmark from the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index to the MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index at the close on 19 September.</li>
<li>The differences in the constituents between the two indices should result in 8 adds and 25 deletes. Estimated one-way turnover is 27.4% resulting in a round-trip trade of US$12.5bn.</li>
<li>The forecast adds have continued to underperform the forecast deletes as the big valuation gap that had opened up since the announcement of the benchmark switch narrows.</li>
</ul>


The VanEck Gold Miners ETF/USA (GDX US) will change benchmark from the NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index to the MarketVector Global Gold Miners Index at the close on 19 September.
The differences in the constituents between the two indices should result in 8 adds and 25 deletes. Estimated one-way turnover is 27.4% resulting in a round-trip trade of US$12.5bn.
The forecast adds have continued to underperform the forecast deletes as the big valuation gap that had opened up since the announcement of the benchmark switch narrows.


Gold Miners ETF (GDX US): Further Capping Pushes Trade to Over US$12.5bn

China

Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd., through its subsidiaries, explores, mines, produces, refines, and sells gold and other mineral resources in China.

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Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd H (2899 HK)

Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Rahul Jain

Anglo–Teck: Building a Copper Champion with Coal Cash Flow

Anglo and Teck merge to create $53bn copper-focused mining major, aiming for $800m in annual savings by year four with strong leverage to copper's...

Rahul Jain

Zijin Gold Pre-IPO: Peer Comparison

Zijin Gold is looking to raise up to US$3.0bn in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. We have looked at the company's past performance in our previous note....

Nicholas Tan

Lithium Oversupply Persists: CATL (300750 CH / 3750 HK) Cushioned, Albemarle (ALB US) Under Pressure

Nikkei Asia reports CATL’s Jianxiawo mine will restart sooner than expected, pushing lithium carbonate futures down 5.7% to ~70,100 yuan/ton (–22%...

Rahul Jain

Gold Miners ETF (GDX US): Further Capping Pushes Trade to Over US$12.5bn

The GDX benchmark change is expected to result in 27.4% turnover and a US$12.5bn trade. Multiple days of ADV need to be traded in a lot of stocks....

Brian Freitas

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52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

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Copper Market Stress Test: TC/RC Collapse and Its Implications for Miners, Smelters, and Prices

​Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Rahul Jain

Anglo–Teck: Building a Copper Champion with Coal Cash Flow

​Anglo and Teck merge to create $53bn copper-focused mining major, aiming for $800m in annual savings by year four with strong leverage to copper's...

Rahul Jain

Zijin Gold Pre-IPO: Peer Comparison

Zijin Gold is looking to raise up to US$3.0bn in its upcoming Hong Kong IPO. We have looked at the company's past performance in our previous note....

Nicholas Tan

Lithium Oversupply Persists: CATL (300750 CH / 3750 HK) Cushioned, Albemarle (ALB US) Under Pressure

Nikkei Asia reports CATL’s Jianxiawo mine will restart sooner than expected, pushing lithium carbonate futures down 5.7% to ~70,100 yuan/ton (–22%...

Rahul Jain

Gold Miners ETF (GDX US): Further Capping Pushes Trade to Over US$12.5bn

The GDX benchmark change is expected to result in 27.4% turnover and a US$12.5bn trade. Multiple days of ADV need to be traded in a lot of stocks....

Brian Freitas

Copper smelters facing losses lead to cutbacks and shutdowns, risking supply shortage and potential price increase in 2026.

Anglo and Teck merge to create $53bn copper-focused mining major, aiming for $800m in annual savings by year four with strong leverage to copper's...