News

Cocoa Prices Soar on Excessive West African Rains

September ICE NY cocoa (CCU26 ) on Monday closed up +658 (+13.07%), and September ICE London cocoa #7 (CAU26 ) closed up +460 (+12.23%). Cocoa prices rallied sharply on Monday, with NY cocoa posting a 5.75-month high and London cocoa posting a 6-month high, as concerns about West African weather...

Coffee Prices Surge on Brazil Weather Risks

September arabica coffee (KCU26 ) on Monday closed up +48.75 (+16.19%), and September ICE robusta coffee (RMU26 ) closed up +328 (+8.83%). Coffee prices catapulted higher on Monday, with arabica posting a 5.5-month high and robusta reaching a 5-month high amid a delayed coffee harvest in Brazil. Safras & Mercado...

CATL Buys Stake in CarbonScape to Scale Forestry-Based Battery Graphite

Contemporary Amperex Technology (SZSE:300750,HKEX:3750) (CATL) has acquired a strategic interest in CarbonScape, a New Zealand-based company that converts forestry byproducts into graphite for lithium batteries. Under the terms of the agreement, CATL and Hong Kong-based investment firm Lochpine Capital will take a combined 20 percent stake in CarbonScape with an aim to scale the production of bio-based graphite to supply the global automotive and energy-storage industries.CarbonScape’s technology will undergo demonstration-scale testing at CATL's facilities in China before full-scale commercial deployment.“Together, we aim to bring commercial biographite production online by the end of the decade,” CarbonScape CEO Ivan Williams said in a statement on Monday (July 6).Graphite is a primary raw material for battery anodes, and China currently controls the global supply chain. The rest of the world faces structural deficits of both natural and synthetic graphite until at least 2031. CarbonScape expects global demand for battery-grade graphite to grow approximately sixfold between 2025 and 2040. More than 75 percent of graphite currently used in batteries comes from oil-based feedstock. CarbonScape's alternative process utilizes forestry waste and residues, which require lower processing temperatures. The company has operated a pilot plant in New Zealand for several years and plans to make a final investment decision on its first industrial-scale facility by late 2027 or early 2028, targeting market supply between 2029 and 2030.Prior to the deal, an expected supply influx from CATL's domestic lithium operations led China's lithium carbonate futures falling nearly 10 percent over two trading sessions, dropping to a 10-week low of approximately US$23,175 per ton. The market drop followed reports that CATL's Jianxiawo lithium mine in Yichun, Jiangxi province, passed its preliminary land pre-review and site selection. The Jiangxi Provincial Department of Natural Resources issued a project land use pre-approval valid from June 17, 2026, through June 17, 2029.The Jianxiawo mine produces approximately 46,000 tons of lithium carbonate annually, representing roughly 3 percent of global supply. Operations at the site were suspended in August 2025 following the expiration of a mandatory permit.Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Sugar Prices Push Higher as the Brazilian Real Weakens

October NY world sugar #11 (SBV26 ) on Monday closed up +0.37 (+2.49%), and Aug London ICE white sugar #5 (SWQ26 ) closed up +3.00 (+0.62%). Sugar prices settled higher on Monday. Sugar garnered support from a rally in the Brazilian real (^USDBRL ) to a 2-week high on Monday,...

OceanaGold Commits US$1.9 Billion to Extend Philippine Gold Mine to 2037

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Canadian miner OceanaGold (TSX:OGC) has committed US$1.9 billion to expand and extend the operational lifespan of its flagship Didipio gold and copper mine in the Philippines.The investment will push the operational life of the high-grade Didipio project, located across the provinces of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino, to 2037.The extension overrides the company’s 2023 technical report, which had previously slated the mine for closure in 2035.“More jobs and local growth are expected as an expansion worth US$1.9 billion is set to strengthen the Philippine mining ecosystem following the President's productive meeting with Oceanagold Corp.,” the office stated.The Didipio project, acquired by OceanaGold through a 2006 merger with Climax Mining, ranks as the Philippines' second-largest producer of gold and copper. The site achieved commercial production in 2013 and operated strictly as an open pit until transitioning to underground mining in 2018. The upcoming US$1.9 billion capital injection will allow the company to assess opportunities to increase underground extraction rates while continuing to process blended ore stockpiled from the earlier open-pit phase. The pledge anchors the asset's future just weeks after the country's Supreme Court dismissed the firm's prolonged dispute over historical excise taxes.On June 18, the Supreme Court released a penned decision denying OceanaGold’s claims for a combined US$3.3 million refund on excise taxes paid between 2013 and 2014. The litigation centered on the interpretation of the "recovery period" defined in the company's Financial and Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) originally executed in 1994. Under the framework, OceanaGold was exempt from excise taxes for up to five years from the start of commercial operations to allow for the recovery of pre-operating and exploration expenditures. OceanaGold paid the taxes under protest, arguing the 2008 market delays constituted a force majeure event that justified deferring the tax-exempt recovery period. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, ruling that the company failed to present adequate evidence to substantiate the claim and could not unilaterally alter the contract's strict timetable.Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Platner Senate campaign taking 'time to reflect' on path forward after sexual assault allegation

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Platner and his campaign denied the accusations made by 41-year-old Maine resident Jenny Racicot in a POLITICO article published Monday.

OPEC+ raises output but cartel's future hangs in balance

A handful of OPEC+ countries have agreed to increase their output targets from August but the cartel is fighting for its survival after the UAE's departure. A French company is using the Seine to cool down Paris' buildings. And, Sky says it's buying ITV's broadcast channels and streaming service for £1.6bn.

SpaceX joins the Nasdaq-100 on Tuesday. Here's what it means for the stock

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The stock's relatively small index weighting will likely limit passive buying pressures on the share price.

CNBC Points Pro: Which credit cards earn more points, Citi or American Express?

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Points expert Jason Stauffer compares Amex cards to Citi credit cards.

To future-proof your career in the age of AI, do 3 simple things: You'll 'remain valuable,' says expert

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Dan Schawbel, who's spent over a decade researching how technology reshapes careers, says employees who do these 3 things in the age of AI will "come out ahead."