Market and product

Euro zone Manufacturing PMI FEB 59.0 59.0 4:00 Euro zone CPI estimate YoY FEB 2.4% 2.4% 5:00 U.S. Construction Spending MoM JAN -0.4% -2.5% 10:00 ISM Manufacturing FEB 61.0 60.8 10:00 ISM Prices Paid FEB 83.0 81.5 10:00 Total Vehicle Sales FEB 12.60M 12.53M 17:00 Domestic Vehicle Sales FEB 9.61M 9.59M 17:00

Metal Prices: ($/ton)

Last %Chg RSI Copper $9,835 -0.5 53 Aluminum $2,589 -0.4 61 Zinc $2,512 -0.3 55 Lead $2,555 -0.3 50 Nickel $28,923 -0.2 60 Tin $32,100 -0.7 65

Other Markets:

Last %Chg %YTD U.S. Dollar Index 76.942 +0.1 -2.6 Crude Oil $97.42 +0.5 +6.6 Gold $1,412.93 +0.1 -0.6 MSCI World Index $1,353.13 +0.1 +5.7

COMMODITY EXCLUSIVES:

Commodities in Longest Winning Streak Since ‘04, Beating Stocks

Metals, crops and fuel beat stocks, bonds and the dollar for a third straight month, the longest stretch since June 2008, as inflation lifted cotton and cocoa and investors speculated violence in the Middle East and northern Africa will restrain energy supplies.

Copper Premiums in China Slump to Zero on Unfavorable Arbitrage

Copper premiums in China, the world’s largest consumer, dropped to as low as zero as international prices rallied more than domestic prices, making imports of the metal expensive.

SHIPPING:

Overseas Shipholding Quarterly Loss Widens on Lower Rates (3)

Overseas Shipholding Group, the largest U.S.-based oil tanker owner, reported a wider fourth-quarter loss as shipping rates declined.

INDUSTRIAL METALS:

Copper Drops for First Day in Four on Concern Over China Demand

Copper dropped for the first time in four days in London and New York on concern that demand in China, the largest user, may not be as robust as estimated as physical buyers hold off purchases in anticipation of lower prices.

Chalco Second-Half Profit Misses Analyst Estimates on Fuel Costs

Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd., the country’s biggest producer of the metal, posted a second-half profit that missed analyst estimates as higher prices and sales were undercut by rising costs.

MINING:

Noble Seeks More Mongolia Deals After Record Profit (1)

Noble Group Ltd, the Hong Kong-based supplier of energy, food and mining commodities, sees Mongolia as its next opportunity to expand in coal and build on its record 2010 profits.

Uranium Rises 1.5% as Supplies Show Signs of Thinning, UxC Says

Uranium prices gained 1.5 percent as supplies of the nuclear fuel in the spot market show signs of thinning, according to Ux Consulting Co.

Equinox’s Lundin Offer Has High Chance of Success, UBS Says

Equinox Minerals Ltd., owner of Africa’s biggest copper mine, is likely to win with its C$4.8 billion ($4.9 billion) offer for Lundin Mining Corp. because Inmet Mining Corp. is limited from raising its bid, UBS AG said.

AngloGold CEO Says South Africa Will Resolve Mine License Issue

AngloGold Ashanti Ltd., the largest South African producer of the metal, said the government will be able to resolve disputes about overlapping mining licenses.

Australian Commodity Exports to Expand to Record on Prices

Commodity exports from Australia, the largest shipper of coal , iron ore and wool, may gain 14 percent to a record next financial year, driven by rising prices, according to the federal government’s forecaster.

PRECIOUS METALS:

Gold May Extend Best Monthly Climb in 10 on Middle East Unrest

Gold may advance, extending the best monthly gain since April, as violence in Libya and other states in the Middle East spurs investor demand for precious metals as a store of value.

AGRICULTURE:

Grain Output to Climb as Farmers Respond to Prices, Bureau Says

Global grains and oilseed output may jump in the year from July as farmers step up production after prices soared, according to Australia’s government forecaster, potentially cutting record food costs that have spurred unrest.

Rubber Gains for First Time in Eight Days as Drop Lures Buyers

Rubber advanced for the first time in eight days as a 15 percent decline to the lowest level in a month attracted buyers on concern supplies may decrease in the low-production season.

ECONOMIES:

China’s Manufacturing Grows at Slowest Pace in Six Months (1)

China’s manufacturing expanded at the slowest pace in six months as higher interest rates and lending curbs aimed at containing inflation damped demand.

U.S. Economy: Spending Cools as Food, Fuel Prices Climb (1)

Consumer spending cooled more than forecast in January as rising food and fuel prices caused Americans to cut back on post-holiday visits to malls and restaurants.

OTHER MARKETS:

Oil Supply Increases for Seventh Week in Survey: Energy Markets

U.S. crude supplies climbed for a seventh week, threatening to increase the discount on New York futures relative to European benchmark Brent, as stockpiles expand at the nation’s main oil delivery hub, a Bloomberg News survey showed.

Buffett Says Buying Home Was Third-Best Investment He Made (1)

Billionaire Warren Buffett said buying a home was the third-best investment he ever made, after the rings he bought for his first wife, Susan Thompson, and, after her death, his second wife, Astrid Menks.