As interest from financial investors and ongoing producer purchases continue to push up the uranium spot price, utilities are now in a hurry to top up supplies before year end.
As producer purchases of uranium continue to underpin spot prices, with Cameco now having specifically disclosed its purchase intentions through 2018-19 (See: Producer Power from last week), the spotlight swung back last week to the other non-end-users of uranium, financial investors.
Investment vehicle Uranium Trading Corp launched its initial public offering last Wednesday, looking to raise US$50m, with pricing expected this week. UTC will list on the NYSE.
According to UTC’s statement, the company will focus on 1) commercial business and trading opportunities in the international uranium market to generate value for UTC investors with defined risk exposure; and 2) a pathway for interested investors to invest in the storage of physical uranium with the goal of achieving capital appreciation as a result of price increases due to expected future fundamental supply and demand imbalances.
At this stage at least, the latter focus dominates. At least 85% of proceeds will initially be directed towards the purchase of U3O8.
The pending IPO was announced in June so no surprises, and while Cameco may have the week before disclosed its actual shopping list, purchaser buying has been underpinning the market for some time, as utilities seemingly dither about if or when to jump in.
Utilities have mostly stayed on the sidelines in past months given the uncertainty surrounding the US section 232 investigation by the Trump administration into whether support for US uranium producers should be considered a matter of “national security” in the face of cheap imports from both friend and foe. The outcome of the investigation, which could yet be some time off, could well impact on uranium pricing.
Source: FNArena