International Nickel Conference: Notes from the Floor

Base Metals Investing
Nickel Investing

At the two-day 6th International Nickel Conference in Toronto, the INN team took in panel discussions, interviewed industry experts and networked with like-minded nickel enthusiasts.

The two-day 6th International Nickel Conference just wrapped up in Toronto after running from Thursday (May 31) to Friday (June 1).

The Investing News Network (INN) team kept busy engaging with companies, attending panel discussions and of course interviewing industry experts.

Below we’ve put together some highlights from the conference. Scroll on to read more about what happened on the floor, and make sure to check out our YouTube playlist for interviews with some of the most knowledgeable minds in the base metals sector.

International Nickel Conference — Day 1

The first day of the conference brought panels and presentations on industry and pricing trends, global supply and demand and a look at nickel’s presence in electric vehicles (EVs). 

The day kicked off with a discussion of how nickel is currently performing and what the future may hold.

Next, INN sat down with Mark Selby, president and CEO of RNC Minerals (TSX:RNX), who was part of the day’s first panel. Among other things, Selby spoke about nickel’s strength as part of the EV sector.

“Nickel is shaping up to be the best-performing base metal of 2018,” Selby told INN. You can watch the full interview with Selby here

The second panel of the day was all about supply and demand. Notably, Colin Strang, vice president, base metals, at CCMA, said battery demand has the potential to “swing the market.”

After a lunch break where attendees were keen to network, INN attended several more panel discussions with EVs as the focus. The final panel of the day zeroed in on nickel and its ability to meet the demands of the ever-growing EV industry.

International Nickel Conference — Day 2

The second day of the conference started with a focus on the challenges of producing EV batteries.

After the first panel of the day, INN sat down with Srinath Rengarajan, senior automotive research analyst at Oliver Wyman.

The talk with Rengarajan was followed by an interview with Jon Hykawy, president of Stormcrow Capital.

During the interview, Hykawy stated, “nickel is still dominated by its demand in the steel industry.” The interviews with Hykawy and Rengarajan will be posted soon.

INN wrapped up the conference by attending a panel discussion on the current situation in the Philippines and its effect on the nickel industry.

While the country is still the world’s second-largest nickel producer, supply has been severely affected in recent years on the back of mine closures. Currently a ban on new open-pit mines is in place.

Keep an eye out for more content from the International Nickel Conference from the INN team. As mentioned, the full interview with Selby is already posted, and we’ll be adding the interviews with Hykawy and Rengarajan soon.

Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time news updates!

Securities Disclosure: I, Nicole Rashotte, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

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