Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Seeking Alpha: Is It Time To Bottom-Fish For Vale SA?

If your company produces significant quantities of iron, you've had a tough year in the stock market. If your company only produces iron, it's been a pretty ugly year. Diversification has helped Rio Tinto (NYSE:RIO), BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP), and Anglo American (OTCPK:AAUKY), but Vale (NYSE:VALE) and Fortescue (OTCQX:FSUGY) have seen their shares weaken significantly (down about 19% over the past twelve months) as iron prices continue to test predictions of just how low prices can fall before finding a floor.

It's dangerous to assume that commodity prices can't continue to fall once they've crossed the threshold where many/most producers operate at a loss (ask investors in met coal or uranium mining companies), but Vale is one of the rare iron ore miners that can still make money at current prices. With low prices starting to lead to production cutbacks and deferred mine expansion plans in various parts of the world, maybe this is a time to consider Vale shares. Brazil's election cycle still represents a risk, as does China's economy and the significant amount of low-cost iron supply available in Australia, but these shares do seem to hold some upside here.

Please read the full article here:
Is It Time To Bottom-Fish For Vale SA?

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