Global Nickel Prices Have Probably Hit a Floor, Says Macquarie

METAL COMMODITY - JAKARTA. Global nickel prices may have hit a floor, according to a Macquarie analyst who sees a market recovery driven by strong demand from the steel sector and as a surplus of ore supplies shrinks after Indonesia slowed production permits.

"Our belief is that we've seen the bottom, we've seen the supply adjustments, we see the uncertainty in future supply, and that is giving us quite a lot of support where the prices are today," Macquarie analyst Jim Lennon told a conference organised by Shanghai Metals Market in Jakarta this week.