Vale, the Brazilian miner, said it maintained a "positive" long-term outlook for iron ore and nickel prices, based on better-than-expected quarterly earnings.
"We remain positive on the outlook for iron ore given the recovery in the global economy," Vale said in late November after iron ore prices plunged on oversupply concerns and weak steel demand. They have since recouped some of their losses.
The company, once the world's largest producer of raw materials for steel, said its fourth-quarter net income nearly doubled to 5.4bn. The company said the increase was mainly due to the impact of the reclassification of accumulated foreign exchange gains.
Os ganhos financeiros foram parcialmente compensados por maiores custos relacionados ao desastre da barragem de Brumadinho, como um adicional de 1,7 bilhão alocado para barragens a montante.
Vale's earnings were hurt by a fall in iron ore prices last year, but nickel has been rising for the past few years and the miner is betting that demand for the metal used in electric cars will continue to grow.
Esse crescimento beneficiará a química de baterias de alto-níquel devido à sua maior densidade de energia, uma dinâmica da qual a cadeia de suprimentos norte-americana é particularmente dependente.
