LME-PRICES

London Metal Exchange pricing

“LME setting the global standard”

The London Metal Exchange was founded in the year 1877, but has a history from the year 1571. LME is now the world’s leading market for non-ferrous metals. LME prices are very important for companies who trade in these metals.
 The owner is LME Holdings Limited and is located at Leadenhall Street, City of London, United Kingdom.
 The London Metal Exchange started with copper and very soon lead and zinc followed. After that the trade was extended with aluminium and other metals.
 About $US 11.6 trillion annually is the total value of the trade. 
For commodities most of the deals are made to be delivered in three month’s time. This is an old custom that goes back in time because copper cargoes needed a 3 month’s journey to deliver the copper from Chile.

LME offers futures and options various contracts for aluminium, copper, tin, nickel, zinc, lead, aluminium, alloy, NASAAC (North American Special Aluminium Alloy), steel billet, cobalt and molybdenum. 
Contrary to other exchanges the trade is still in the ring. The LME is in Europe the last exchange where open-outcry trading take place. The prices are based on supply and demand. 
LME has so-called Ring Dealing Members. Only these Ring Dealing Members are entitled to enter the ring and trade during the ring-trading sessions. 
There are twelve companies, who have the exclusive right to trade in the ring.

All companies who work with metals know the phenomena that prices can strongly fluctuate. This fluctuations depend not only from supply and demand but also from expectations and sentiments in the financial world. These prices are often unpredictable and have a big influence on profits of companies. LME offers as well buyers as sellers the opportunity to hedge their material price risk and have protection further future fluctuation in prices.