Lead Mini

Overview

• ▪ Lead has been in use for thousands of years because it is easy to get from the ground and easy to shape and work with. It was used by the Romans for pipes, drinking vessels, and fasteners. Lead is a shiny, gray-blue metal that gets tarnished easily to a dull gray colour. It is soft and malleable and is very shiny when molten and is very heavy. It is also corrosion-resistant. Lead is found very rarely in the earth's crust as a metal. Galena is the main lead ore. It is usually found in association with zinc, silver, and copper ores. It is one of the most sustainable and recyclable commodities. It can be recycled indefinitely, without loss of its physical or chemical properties.
• ▪ Lead is principally used for manufacturing batteries, especially the ones used in automobiles, motorcycles, and electric cars. Its incredible density provides protection from radiation and is used in hospitals, dental surgeries, laboratories, and nuclear installations. Lead acid batteries provide vital back-up emergency power supply during power failures in computer installations, banks, telephone exchanges, and aircraft control towers, among others. In earthquake-prone regions, such as Japan and California, the buildings are mounted on lead shock absorbers that help minimize damage during tremors or earthquakes.
• ▪ The realities of the market call for efficient risk management techniques that are important for participants, such as producers, exporters, marketers, processors, and SMEs. When the future is unknown, modern techniques and strategies, including using market-based risk management financial instruments like ‘Lead Futures’, offered on the MCX platform can improve efficiencies and consolidate competitiveness through price risk management.

Factors Influencing the Market

• ▪ Lead prices in India are fixed based on the rates in the international spot market, and the Indian rupee–US dollar exchange rates.
• ▪ Economic events such as national industrial growth, global financial crisis, recession, and inflation, affect the metal prices.
• ▪ Commodity-specific events, such as the construction of new production facilities or processes, unexpected mine or plant closures (natural disaster, supply disruption, accident, strike, and so forth), or industry restructuring, affect metal prices.
• ▪ Trade policies set by the government affect supply as they regulate material flow.

* Disclaimer: The users are also advised to refer to latest circular issued by the Exchange.