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It´s been a busy few months and I´m pleased to announce that I´ve completed a thorough review of the cobalt market which is available for purchase. 

The report covers all aspects of the cobalt supply chain from mining, to refining, to end uses with supply and demand forecasts as well. 

I´m offering the Executive Summary and a portion of the Introduction for free. You can download a PDF version here. The cost of the full report is $500 USD which can be paid through PayPal (or we can make arrangements for a wire if necessary). As an added bonus, I´ll give the first 20 people to purchase the report an opportunity for a 20 minute phone call to ask any question they want regarding the outlook for the cobalt market. 

To be clear, this is not a "stockpicking" report and so you won´t find any "flavor of the month" stock picks here. What you will find is in depth data and insights into the cobalt supply chain and how the companies along it are shifting their business to capture the anticipated high growth of downstream industries. 

For more info on purchasing the report, please email me at info@house-mountain.com.

Thanks,

Chris

Executive Summary

• In 2015, between 110,000 and 120,000 tonnes of cobalt was mined globally with over 65% originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This grew in 2015 due to artisanal mining in the DRC, supply is expected to shrink in 2016 and 2017 due to mine economics.

• Refined cobalt production totaled slightly less than 93,000 t. This is forecast to shrink in 2016 and 2017.

• The refined metal form of cobalt is best suited for the superalloy and magnet industries (about 26% of 2015 demand) while the chemical form is best suited for the rechargeable battery sector (about 49% of 2015 demand).

• Further supply growth is dependent on the prices of copper and nickel. Cobalt is almost exclusively a byproduct, with two thirds of supply coming from nickel production and one third of supply coming from copper production with roughly 2% coming from primary cobalt operations.

• The harsh environment for mining companies in recent years has forced major cobalt producers such as Glencore (GLEN:LON) and Freeport McMoran (FCX:NYSE) to make strategic decisions to strengthen their balance sheets and rethink the “growth at all costs” mantra of the 2000s. As GLEN and FCX are historically two of the largest integrated cobalt mining companies, the decisions they make will materially affect cobalt supply.

• GLEN’s 18 month closure of its Katanga mining operation in 2015 and FCX’s intention to sell its African copper interests and cobalt refinery operations to an undetermined buyer (possibly China Molybdenum (3993:HKG)) are two examples.

• Cobalt demand has grown by roughly 6% per annum in recent years, led by the rechargeable battery business with demand growing by over 10% per annum. The rechargeable battery business was responsible for approximately 45,000 t (49%) of cobalt demand in chemical form in 2015 (primarily in cobalt sulfate and hydroxide forms). This growth has compensated for slower growth in other sectors more in line with GDP growth.

• Avicenne Energy, a respected technology consultancy, states that 115,000 t of cathode materials were consumed in 2015 and this is forecast to grow to 400,000 t by 2025 with “cobalt-heavy” chemistries accounting for two thirds of this total.

• Vehicle electrification is a main driver of growth. According to the IEA, in 2009 there were 6,000 EVs on the road globally. In 2015, there were 1.2 million. A 25% CAGR going forward would put this total at 10 million in 2025.

• Perhaps the largest threat to this growth thesis concerns technology. As cobalt is an expensive cathode component, a great deal of work is going towards minimizing its uses in batteries.

• The cobalt price has performed well year-to-date, up 20% with the LME price currently at $12.95/lb. It is important to remember that there are multiple prices for cobalt as there are multiple forms. That said, the LME or Metal Bulletin prices (for low grade feedstock at 99.3%) serve as a key benchmark.

• With cobalt demand forecast to increase by 6% per year to 2020 and supply forecast to grow at 2% per year to 2020, the benchmark LME cobalt price should grind higher to $17 to $18 per lb by 2018

In writing the report, I spoke with and interviewed roughly 20 market participants along the cobalt supply chain including mining companies, trading companies, battery chemists, and investors. The purpose of this report is to offer both a quantitative and qualitative overview of the cobalt market. In offering a detailed overview of the sector, the goal is to offer strategic recommendations around how to approach this sector and participate in its growth.

INTRODUCTION

Aside from lithium, perhaps no other battery raw material has generated as much interest as cobalt. Atomic number 27 on the periodic table, cobalt has been a truly critical material in the adoption and proliferation of lithium ion battery chemistries – primarily as nickel cobalt aluminum (NCA) and nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) have increased - due to lithium ion battery uptake. In the year 2000, roughly 1% of cobalt was used in the rechargeable battery market. This has grown to roughly 45% today and at present growth rates of 6% per annum, will consume 100% of all cobalt production in 2025. The lithium ion battery is not new, having been “discovered” in 1976, but as energy density and power density continue to improve across a range of chemistries, the raw materials critical for its use are likely to see continued strong demand.

In 2015, between 110,000 and 120,000 tonnes of cobalt was mined globally with over 65% originating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Refined cobalt production totaled slightly under 93,000 t. Refined cobalt can be separated into two forms: metal and chemical. Metal cobalt is found in several forms including cathodes, powders, briquettes, and ingots. Cobalt in its chemical form can be found in oxide, sulfate, nitrate, hydroxide form to name a few. Each form has its own supply and demand dynamic and price. The refined metal form of cobalt is best suited for the superalloy and magnet industries (about 26% of 2015 demand) while the chemical form is best suited for the rechargeable battery sector (about 49% of 2015 demand). Both supply and demand have been on the increase in recent years with….. 

 


 

Chris Berry
President of House Mountain Partners LLC and Co-Editor of Disruptive Discoveries Journal

Chris Berry is a well-known writer, speaker, and analyst. He focuses much of his time on Energy Metals – those metals or minerals used in the generation or storage of energy. He is a student of the theory of Convergence emanating from the Emerging World and believes it will have profound effects across the globe in the coming years. Active on the speaking circuit throughout the world and frequently quoted in the press, Chris spent 15 years working across various roles in sales and brokerage on Wall Street before shifting focus and taking control of his financial destiny.He is also a Senior Editor at Investor Intel. He holds an MBA in Finance with an international focus from Fordham University, and a BA in International Studies from The Virginia Military Institute. Please visit www.discoveryinvesting.com and www.house-mountain.com for more information and registration for free newsletter as well as his disclaimer.  

Our Thinking and What We Do

We are believers in the theory of Convergence. As the quality of life between East and West slowly merges due to advances in technology, continued urbanization, and    changing demographics, opportunities across numerous industries will arise which we can take advantage of. We aim to point out the strategic opportunities in the commodity space which arise from these themes. 

Throughout history, no society has sustained a higher quality of life without access to cheap commodities or materials. As global population increases, putting stresses on resource availability, efficiency and technology must come to the fore to continue to provide for a higher quality of life.  The looming convergence of lifestyles between the emerging world and the developed world is a fact we must all understand and accept in order to chart a sustainable path forward for humanity.  

DISCLAIMER AND INFORMATION ON FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

The material herein is for informational purposes only and is not intended to, and does not constitute, the rendering of investment advice or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. The foregoing discussion contains forward-look­ing statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (The Act). In particular when used in the preceding discussion the words “plan,” confident that, believe, scheduled, expect, or intend to, and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements subject to the safe harbor created by the ACT. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any of the forward looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to future events and financial performance of the company which are inherently uncertain and actual events and / or results may differ materially. In addition we may review investments that are not registered in the U.S. We cannot attest to nor certify the correctness of any information in this note. Please consult your financial advisor and perform your own due diligence before considering any companies mentioned in this informational bulletin.

The information in this report is provided solely for users’ general knowledge and is provided “as is”. We make no warranties, expressed or implied, and disclaim and negate all other warranties, including without lim­itation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a par­ticular purpose or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights. Further, we do not warrant or make any representations concerning the use, validity, accuracy, completeness, likely results or reliability of any claims, statements or information in this research report or otherwise relating to such materials or on any websites linked to this report.

The content in this report is not intended to be a comprehensive re­view of all matters and developments, and we assume no responsibility as to its completeness or accuracy. Furthermore, the information in no way should be construed or interpreted as – or as part of – an offering or solicitation of securities. No securities commission or other regulatory authority has in any way passed upon this information and no representation or warranty is made by us to that effect. Chris Berry owns no shares in any of the companies mentioned in this report.

All statements in this research report, other than statements of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements. Some of the statements contained herein, may be forward-looking information. Words such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “potential”, “continue” and similar expressions have been used to identify the forward-looking information. These statements reflect our current beliefs and are based on information currently available.  Forward-looking information involves significant risks and un­certainties, certain of which are beyond our control.  A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking information including, but not limited to, changes in general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, risks associated with the uncertainty of exploration results and esti­mates, currency fluctuations, exclusivity and ownership rights of exploration permits, dependence on regulatory approvals, the uncertainty of obtaining additional financing, environmental risks and hazards, exploration, develop­ment and operating risks and other risk factors. Although the forward-looking information contained herein is based upon what we believe to be reasonable assumptions, we cannot assure that actual results will be consistent with this forward-looking information. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and we assume no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by securities laws. These statements relate to future events or future performance. These state­ments involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed disclaimer, please click here.

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Name: Chris Berry
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Phone: +1 917 886 0229
Email: cberry@house-mountain.com
Web: www.discoveryinvesting.com
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