Following the auction, October 5, 2010 on the LME cash nickel price was 24 260 USD / ton, the price of nickel with 3-h.mes.postavkoy increased to 24 285 USD / ton. At the same storage volume decreased by 0.2% to 123,270 tons.

Currently, analysts give different estimates of the further development of the price trend for nickel. Some believe that the increase in world stainless steel output in 2010 to 31 mln.tn. (2009 — 24.57 mln.tn.) will boost nickel prices up to 26 000 USD / ton. in the near future. Others say that the growth in world nickel production is outstripping the growth of its consumption, and as a result the price of nickel will be reduced.

According to expert estimates, the volume of production of primary nickel in 2010 sostavit1348 thousand tons, which is only 1.2% higher than the figure for 2009. At the same time the consumption will increase by 9.8% to 1,353 thousand tons In 2011, nickel production will increase to 1530 thousand. Tons, while its consumption of up to 1432 thousand tons

Thus, projections for support as the first variant of the price situation and the second. After a sharp rise in the fourth quarter of 2010 and first quarter of 2011 may well come a fairly long-term correction of the decline.