Iron Ore Outlook Weighed by Soft China Steel Markets, Rising Supply -- Market Talk

Dow Jones
Jan 12

2205 GMT - Prices of iron ore and metallurgical coal could move higher in the short term on seasonal influences, but will likely soften by mid-year, according to Jefferies. That is because Chinese steel markets are expected to stay relatively weak while "supply growth (especially in met coal) is coming," they say. The analysts reckon the mining sector will perform well on the whole this year. But they expect shares of diversified giants Rio Tinto and BHP--which generate much of their profits from iron ore--will lag pure-play copper miners and other base metals producers. Vale is Jefferies' top pick of the world's top three iron-ore miners. (rhiannon.hoyle@wsj.com; @RhiannonHoyle)

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 11, 2026 17:05 ET (22:05 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

At the request of the copyright holder, you need to log in to view this content

Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.

Most Discussed

  1. 1
     
     
     
     
  2. 2
     
     
     
     
  3. 3
     
     
     
     
  4. 4
     
     
     
     
  5. 5
     
     
     
     
  6. 6
     
     
     
     
  7. 7
     
     
     
     
  8. 8
     
     
     
     
  9. 9
     
     
     
     
  10. 10