LONDON EXCHANGE STEPS IN AMID SUSPECTED COLLUSION IN NICKEL TRADES

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The London Metal Exchange has intervened in the nickel market amid suspected collusion at a time of soaring prices and critically low stock levels.

“The LME has detected collusive behaviour in nickel trading and acted to tighten the lending guidelines for the metal significantly,” said John Kemp, analyst at Sempra Metals.

The nickel market is small and relatively illiquid and traders describe the metal's physical supplies as “very stressed”.

Nickel prices have soared this year with the benchmark three-month price rising 55 per cent to a record $51,650 a tonne in May. Levels of stocks available to the market have fallen below 10,000 tonnes, although the situation is less acute than it was in April.


由于价格飞涨、库存极低，镍市场涉嫌存在共谋行为，伦敦金属交易所(LME)为此对镍市场进行了干预。

Sempra Metals公司分析师约翰•肯普(John Kemp)表示：“伦敦金属交易所发现镍交易中存在共谋行为，于是采取了行动，明显收紧了镍金属的借出规定。”

镍市场规模小，流动性相对较弱，而且据交易员称，这种金属的实物供应“非常紧张”。

今年以来镍价飞涨，基准的3月期期货合约价格上涨了55%，在5月份达到每吨5.165万美元的创纪录水平。可向市场供应的库存水平已经下降到1万吨以下，不过，情况已经没有4月份那么严峻了。