BMO Equity Research Metal Matters

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Jun 2026

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Featuring Helen Amos, Commodities analyst at BMO Capital Markets, Metal Matters discusses the hot topics in Global Metals & Mining each week.

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June 9, 202629 min

Coal Fired Up (30 min)

Helen Amos and Katja Jancic discuss how the outlook for metallurgical and thermal coal prices has shifted following the major underground coal mine explosion in China in mid-May, which has triggered widespread closures, regulatory changes, and disciplinary action on several high-level government officials. They discuss what it might take for US met coal prices to close the gap with Pacific benchmarks, seasonal tailwinds for thermal coal, and implications of new US government coal funding. Click here for transcript. BMO clients can view our report: Met Coal Enters Its Next Fragile Supply Era: Echoes of 2023 To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

April 24, 202624 min

Copper’s Resilience and Other CESCO Week Themes ( 25 min)

In this episode, Helen Amos reviews key debates over Cesco Week 2026, including Iran conflict demand risks, sulphuric acid shortages, the U.S. arb, and challenges facing western-listed mining companies in their pursuit of copper growth. Demand side headwinds from higher oil prices are valid given historical precedent, but Helen highlights that much lower oil intensity of global GDP vs the ‘70s, a greater share of copper demand now being tied to strategic uses, intensifying stockpiling and underperforming mine supply, all provide strong positive offsets. Click here for transcript. BMO clients can view our reports : Copper Shines at Cesco Week Mining Costs With Higher Oil; What Are The Sensitivities? To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

March 27, 202628 min

The Iran Conflict Is Upending Fertiliser Markets - Why We Care in Metals (28 min)

In this episode, Helen Amos and Joel Jackson discuss disruptions to fertiliser supply chains stemming from the Iran conflict. Nitrogen and sulphur prices have already seen huge gains (phosphate prices are rising too) with seemingly little slack in the system for a supply response to plug the gap. They discuss how this compares in scale with the onset of the Russia/Ukraine war in 2022, and what this means for mining operations dependant on sulphuric acid for leaching and ammonia nitrate for explosives. Click here for transcript. BMO clients can view our reports here: Fertilizer Stocks Reawaken as Conflict Intensifies Middle East Conflict Supply Risk: Aluminium and Iron Ore Pellets Vulnerable Mining Costs With Higher Oil; What Are The Sensitivities? BMO Special Event: Commodities: Middle East Conflict First Attempt to Quantify Current Conflict, Comping to 2022 (and Even 2008)Another Week of War Escalation and Duration -Driven Volatility Fertilizer and Methanol Impacts From Middle East and Iran Developments To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

March 10, 202635 min

BMO Special Event: Commodities: Middle East Conflict

Commodity prices are reacting in a major way to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Please join our analysts, Randy Ollenberger, John McNulty, Joel Jackson, Helen Amos and George Heppel for a group conference call where we discuss our latest thoughts for near- and medium-term impacts on energy, metals, fertilizers, and chemicals markets. Click here for transcript. To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

March 5, 202652 min

BMO Special Analyst Event: 2026 BMO Global Metals, Mining & Critical Minerals Conference Takeaways

BMO’s Base, Precious and Critical Minerals Analysts share the key takeaways, themes and developments from the 2026 Global Metals, Mining and Critical Minerals Conference. Click here for transcript. To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

February 17, 202639 min

The World Needs More Mining and Demands Better Mining

In this special Metal Matters podcast, BMO Commodities Analyst Helen Amos is joined by Ro Dhawan, President and CEO of the ICMM to discuss how the role of sustainable mining is shifting in a world where mining and critical minerals has been thrust into the foreground of global geopolitics. They discuss the new Consolidated Mining Standard which marks a major turning point in harmonising standards across the industry, as well as progress made in tailings management, gender-based violence, and the urgency around improving safety performance. Ro suggests that the increase in government participation and M&A in mining could bring opportunities for sustainability too. Click here for transcript. To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

January 22, 202612 min

Geopolitical Rupture and the Age of Metals Stockpiling

In this episode, Helen Amos discusses new highs in gold and silver prices as transatlantic tensions around Greenland’s future escalate. We look at how US metals stockpiling over Trump’s second term compares with the Cold War era, and reflect on new questions around China’s aluminium output, met coal’s steady come back and tin’s outperformance. Click here for transcript BMO clients can view our reports: BMO Precious Metals Monitor: The Greenland Effect The Age of Metals Stockpiling - How Much has the U.S. Accumulated? Silver: Entering Dangerous Territory for the Gold:Silver Ratio Met Coal Stirs From Its Slumber To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

December 22, 202534 min

Wrapping Up 2025; What’s Next For The Supercycle?

Helen Amos is joined by George Heppel to wrap up on the big developments and surprises over 2025. They discuss the recent surge in silver and platinum, what has kept metals prices high in the face of global tariffs, China’s reach on global metals supply chains, critical minerals investments, and the COMEX-LME copper arbitrage. They mull over some of the key themes and uncertainties into 2026. BMO clients can view our reports, 2026 Metals & Bulk Commodity Price Update: Material World BMO Precious Metals Monitor: Silver Bells Are Ringing Click here for transcript To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

November 21, 202538 min

Delving Into the Macro

In this episode, Helen Amos is joined by BMO’s Chief Economist Doug Porter to discuss the impact of big macro shifts on the metals and mining space. They talk everything from rate cuts, the US dollar, AI, de-dollarisation, global trade, and emerging market development. Click here for transcript. To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures

October 24, 202515 min

From London to Beijing

In this week’s Metal Matters, we re-cap on our key take-aways from LME week, discuss the correction in precious metals, and shift the spotlight over to China’s recent economic data and expectations for the next 5-year plan. Click here for transcript BMO clients can view our reports: LME Week 2025 Feedback BMO Precious Metals Monitor: Squeezing Higher To access our full disclosures, please visit: https://research.bmo.com/public/disclosures