The latest Market Talks covering Basic Materials. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.
0150 GMT - Northern Star bull Macquarie is intrigued by the timing of managing director Stuart Tonkin's resignation. "While there is never a good time for an MD transition, we think the timing is interesting in the context of the reserve and resource update, which was originally slated for May," Macquarie says. It wonders if there is some downside to reserves at the Hemi project as it is incorporated into Northern Star's reserves and resources for the first time. In terms of Tonkin's potential successor, Macquarie notes that both Northern Star's chief financial officer and chief operating officer have significant experience and have been with the miner for an extended period of time. The bank has an outperform rating and A$25.00 target on Northern Star, which trades down 1.4% at A$19.08. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)
1820 GMT - Gold and silver futures finish higher, even as traders see potential rate hikes as a pressure point for prices. Further downside could come with a "major risk-off event," says analysts with Citi Research in a note. With such an occurrence, including a deescalation in the U.S./Iran conflict and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, gold would "likely bottom out" before rebounding in the second-half of the year. But gold and silver have a positive day, with underlying support still coming central bank demand. Front-month gold gains 0.6% to $4,531.30 a troy ounce, while silver rises 1.4% to $75.851/oz. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)
1343 GMT - The EU faces a significant skills gap in the raw-materials sector, Ekaterina Zaharieva, the bloc's commissioner for startups, research and innovation, says at a summit. "Public and private investment, together with programs like Horizon Europe, are helping accelerate innovation across the raw materials value chain, but innovation alone is not enough," she says, referring to the bloc's funding program for research and innovation. "Europe must become better and faster at scaling ideas into industrial success," she says. (edith.hancock@wsj.com)
1021 GMT - Palm oil futures ended little changed, with the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives contract for August delivery falling 2 ringgit to close at 4,583 ringgit a metric ton. Rival oils traded weaker overnight as slow progress in resolving the U.S.-Iran conflict weighed on sentiment, say Kenanga Futures analysts in a note. Profit taking after a recent rally and concerns that India may raise import duties likely also pulled down prices, they say, although a weaker Malaysian ringgit could cushion the fall. They peg the support and resistance levels for the August contract at 4,500 ringgit and 4,625 ringgit, respectively. (megan.cheah@wsj.com)
1013 GMT - Lanxess shows risks of weaker earnings in the second half of 2026 as inflation might dent customer demand, Jefferies analysts say in a research note. While the market is still expecting unusually strong profits during the period for the German chemical company, the analysts are more cautious. Lanxess is also facing additional pressure from its investment in Envalior, with the analysts expecting related benefits to be delayed until 2028. They cut their recommendation on the stock to underperform from hold and price target to 16 euros from 17 euros. Shares trade 3.4% lower at 17.24 euros. (nina.kienle@wsj.com)
0942 GMT - Evonik's broad production network and reliable supply chain give it flexibility to adjust prices when market conditions change, Jefferies analysts say in a note. Around 40% of the German chemical company's business comes from more stable industries, which helps protect its earnings even as the current boost from higher raw-material prices starts to weaken, the analysts add. Compared with competitors, Evonik's share price seems to reflect changes in its expected profits more accurately, as investors have a clearer idea of how long the current market advantages will last and when demand is likely to return to normal by fiscal year 2026, they add. Jefferies raises its recommendation on the stock to buy from hold and its target price to 20 euros from 15.20 euros. Shares trade 0.2% lower at 17.31 euros. (nina.kienle@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 21, 2026 04:20 ET (08:20 GMT)
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