URÁN – cena takmer pri dne
Cena by mohla ešte trochu oslabiť, avšak následne sa očakáva jej rýchla stabilizácia.
Spot uranium prices could ease further short term after falling around 25 percent this year, but are likely to stabilise fairly soon as utilities and producers return to the market, analysts say.
Uranium, a silvery metallic element used to fuel nuclear reactors, saw a sharp price spike last year as investors bought into the idea that nuclear power was a cleaner alternative to non-renewable energy sources emitting greenhouse gases.
But with nuclear plants taking longer than expected to build and after heavy stock piling last year by utilities, activity on the spot market has dried up and prices have collapsed.
Uranium hit an all-time high of $136 a pound in June 2007, up from just $7 in 2000. This week the price fell $3 to $65 per pound, according to a leading publisher of prices UxConsulting.
"All the bulls turning bearish and a lack of positives across a sector is often the bottom of the market," he added.
Dealers said there was a lack of short-term buyers, but prices could pick up if they stabilised around $65 a pound.
"Buyers are going to come in. There is a rumour that a couple of producers are short and that they will come into buy," a uranium trader said.
The recent weakness of uranium prices contrasts with other commodities such as metals and oil which have been hitting record highs on the back of global power shortages.
Macquarie Bank expects the market to be balanced or in a slight surplus in 2008. The surplus would remain in 2009 and in 2010 the market was likely to be balanced or in a small deficit.
"The China impact is yet to hit the market and will probably not hit the market in a big way until 2010/11/12,"
said analyst Max Layton at Macquarie BankZdroj: guardian.co.uk
29.04.2008
