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Group Two of the Periodic Table are alkaline earth metals. The name is historic, “earths” refers to substances that were insoluble in water and unaffected by fire, “alkali” refers to those substances, such as calcium oxide, that had similar characteristics to alkalis such as potash. By the early 1800’s it…
Zinc is the fourth most produced metal behind iron, aluminium and copper. About 75% is used as a coating (galvanising) to protect iron and steel from corrosion. It is also used in brass and bronze, as a casting alloy and in other industries such as chemicals and agriculture. All living…
A useful snapshot of market value is the trailing price to earnings ratio (P/E). some look at forward P/E’s, but this includes future earnings estimates which may be in error. However, a problem with the standard 12 month trailing P/E is that abrupt market moves can cause a disconnect between…
The following details are for Australia’s top ten ASX-listed gold companies. Of most interest is the dramatic difference in P/E between the top four and the next five. Note that GOR has only just become profitable and results are only for the first half. A stronger second half will see…
To some, the nickel boom of the last year or so is reminiscent of the Poseidon nickel boom of 1969. Then, the nickel price rise was driven by the Vietnam war and a strike at the world’s largest producer, Inco. Poseidon rose from $0.80 to a high of $280, a…
Background There are two principal types of coal: coking and thermal. Coking coal is heated in an air free oven to produce coke and various volatiles. The coke is virtually all carbon and is used as a reductant with iron ore to produce steel. Thermal coal is of a lower…