Coal in 2026: The Energy Inflection Point (Matt Warder)
With coal stocks moving strongly of their lows of 2025 and the funding landscape being flipped on its head, we called upon the most knowledge person in the sector, Matt Warder, to give us the run down.In this conversation we covered:
• Who’s in the M&A hotseat
• Where met and thermal prices move
• How Matt’s constructing his portfolio
• Whether India is replacing Chinese demand
• The changes wrought by the royalties’ regimes
• How AI has changed the game for power generationFollow Matt Warder’s on:
• Substack - https://thecoaltrader.com/
• Twitter / X - https://x.com/mfwarder
Stocks mentioned: WHC, SMR, NHC, BHP, GLEN.L, BSL, RIO, BTU.NY, HCC.NY, AMR.NY, METC.N, AAL.L,
This was recorded on 3.2.2026.
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TIMESTAMPS
(0:00) Intro
(0:40) 2026: Year of the Great Accumulation
(2:30) US Steel & BlueScope Takeover Battles
(5:00) Thermal Coal & AI Power Demand
(7:50) Energy Grid Constraints on AI Growth
(10:30) Indonesian Coal Export Quotas
(13:10) Indian Steel Demand & Market Dynamics
(20:00) China vs India Steel Production Models
(23:00) Cost Curve Evolution & Labor Inflation
(29:00) Long-Term Met Coal Price Forecasts
(30:30) Robots, AI & Fossil Fuel Paradox
(31:10) M&A Outlook: Anglo Assets & Consolidation
(33:30) Latimore's Illawarra Acquisition
(35:50) BHP BMA Divestment Potential
(37:50) US Dollar Impact on Australian Producers
(40:40) Coal Stock Valuations: Stanmore, Whitehaven, Yancoal
(43:30) ESG 4.0 & Cheaper Debt for Coal Companies
(44:40) Top Met Coal Stock Picks
(46:00) Rare Earths & Critical Minerals Strategy
(49:10) Trump Stockpile Announcement & Reuters Article
(50:40) Wrap Up
……………
PARTNERS
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DISCLAIMER
All information in this podcast is for education and entertainment purposes only and is of general nature only. Please ensure you read our full disclaimer.
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It's interesting.
Well, somebody's going to have
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to come in and take the Anglo
assets.
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I'm not sure who is going to be
the best candidate for that.
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00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:09,040
You know, I would have said BHPA
while ago, you know, now that
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00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:11,080
Anglo is sort of, you know,
engaged.
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00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:13,200
I'm not sure what that's going
to look like 1 down the road.
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00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:20,360
For all the money miners who are
not acquainted with you yet that
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00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:22,680
water you are you're out.
You're our go to coal man.
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00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,200
You're the world's go to coal
man everything coal met thermal.
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00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,240
We we just ask Matt and I've
I've noticed you throwing around
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this this this theme you're
toying with the 2026 is the the
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year of the great accumulation.
What do you mean by that?
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Well, you know, I had thought
that 2026 initially was going to
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be the year where everything
really pulled back.
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Harkening back in my days of
Woodmac, we saw kind of peak
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Chinese steel production in
2024, which pretty close to what
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happened in reality.
For a 10 year forecast, that's
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not bad.
And usually what happens is, you
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know, cycle lasts about five
years.
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This one started for real in
2021.
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So, you know, if past is
prologue, as Rick rule would
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say, that would mean that, you
know, 2026 would have been the
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year for to kind of withstand
all that.
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But instead the the the China
property debacle and just a real
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downfall and demand they're
pulled all of that forward into
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2025.
And so instead of getting a
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summer recovery, we got a big
fat nothing and prices bottomed
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out.
But since then we've had lower
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production than expected.
We just had a cyclone on the Met
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side.
We've had a cold winter.
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The things have improved on the
thermal side.
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And we've tested what I think is
really, you know, the cost floor
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for for each of those individual
sectors.
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And I might add, we've tested it
successfully.
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There have been a kind of a bare
minimum of, of, you know,
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bankruptcies, you know,
companies going into
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receivership.
Surprisingly, there's been a
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bare minimum of, of my idlings
too.
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So I, I think, you know, we can,
we can look back through the
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last year and say pretty firmly
that, you know, the coal
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industry really is on, on pretty
good footing compared to the
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before times.
Well, as as 10 year forecasts
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go, that's, that's quite the
pick Matt.
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But one thing I'm curious to
hear whether you kind of had in,
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in your bingo cards is some of
the takeover battles and kind of
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tussles we've had for some of
the major steel producers.
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So US steel played out last year
and we're in the midst of 1 here
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in Australia with with Bluescope
Steel.
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And that adds such a fascinating
geopolitical kind of lens to
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this whole flushed steel market
globally, doesn't it?
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Yeah.
And you know, my track record of
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predicting geopolitical outcomes
like that, you know, is, is far
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from successful.
So, you know, I don't always
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know how those things are going
to work out, But it made sense,
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at least from the from the US
standpoint, that we had a
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company with a much better
balance sheet come in to
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shepherd these assets going
forward.
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I haven't followed Bluescope
particularly closely just
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because, you know, for me down
under, I tend to be a consumer
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of data rather than a generator
of it.
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But I'm interested to see what
happens there for, for the US,
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that made a lot of sense.
And I was glad to see the deal
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go through with Nippon, despite
both President Biden and
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President Trump having their
misgivings about it.
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You know, my, my sense of it was
that any concern about the union
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side of it was really overblown.
You know, the, the plans were
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were in place for a long time to
build, you know, big river steel
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too.
And now we have a better balance
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sheet to do that with.
I think that's good for for the
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workforce, not bad.
But As for As for blue scope, I
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don't really know honestly.
I was going to ask you guys
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about that while we were having
this discussion because you guys
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can probably provide the type of
context that we need to sort of
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think about in order to figure
out long term positioning there.
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I think it's, I think it's like,
yeah, these these really
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ordinary businesses for, for
many reasons, but because,
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because assets in, in, you know,
strategic Western countries with
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enormous replacement value that
can, can, can provide enormous
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strategic value.
We're in the era of strategic
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value is real value and and
hence the evolving, evolving
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kind of, you know, corporate,
corporate outcomes for these
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businesses.
And we've seen the signs that
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the governments are going to
support these.
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You know, we've seen about every
smelter backed up by the
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government here as well.
So you know, you've got the
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government in your in your
corner in the West as well, a
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huge add to that.
Yeah, I've been writing about
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that more on the on the rare
earth side than than on steel in
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particular.
But just looking at the Trump
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administration's willingness to
take a a golden share in, you
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know, those US steel operations,
governments are opening up
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pocketbooks to our corner of the
market.
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And that hasn't really happened
in ever to my knowledge.
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Yeah, well, if we, if we flip
the conversation to energy
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generation, that's a huge part
of, of what you've kind of been
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speaking about with thermal coal
dynamics, AI and, and all of
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these kind of things.
And the, the rhetoric has kind
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of changed there a bit as well.
We saw just in the past week a
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very important power plant in
New South Wales extended again
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another, another two years of
life added to it.
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And this is something you've
been speaking about in in the
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States as well, you know, no
longer switching the coal power
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stations off, but maintaining
them.
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You know, I don't think we're at
the point where we're talking
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about building new coal power
plants.
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But how is that narrative
playing out right now, Matt?
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So it's playing out exactly like
that now there, there will be,
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there was 1 closure here that
has resulted in Alliance
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Resource Limited partners taking
off their Matiki mine, which had
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a 1,000,000 Tony year customer
that plants going to have, you
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know, continued shutdowns and
operations.
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So there, there are still
retirements happening, but most
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are trying to be prolonged for
as long as they can.
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I, I don't know if I've said
that on here before, but I, I
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bet we get maybe one new coal
plant built in the US over the
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next 10 years.
I would venture to guess it's
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probably in Wyoming where that
would make better sense to pair
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with hyperscalers and in a
government willing to sort of,
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you know, go go along with that.
But but yeah, to your point, I
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think everywhere else is just
keep them on for as long as you
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can until small modular reactors
get here sometime in the next
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decade.
Other than that, you're just
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building gas plants as best as
you can.
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And I think you'll see a lot of
behind the meter, you know,
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solar and and some other
installations as well.
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I mean for for hyper scalers,
it's all of the above and then
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some.
So they'll, they'll take
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whatever power they can get
almost at whatever price they
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can get it until we wind up at
the point where they're building
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just faster than power capacity
demand can can keep up with it.
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I mean, these, these
hyperscalers, they, they need
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almost infinite compute and you
know, you've got this collision
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of, of exponential compute
growth with, with what is
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clearly the ability to provide
a, a linear energy capacity at
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at best and, and an old system.
It's a, it's a strange
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confluence of circumstances that
we're contending with at a time
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when, you know, energy
constraints have never been more
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stark.
And yet, and yet like you talk
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about thermal, thermal coal,
coal markets, energy markets
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broadly have been like in a
bottoming range.
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Strange.
Yeah.
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So it's, you know, shudder to
think what energy costs will be
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like at the at the peak of this
next cycle.
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But with regard to with regard
to compute, I mean, there
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there's nothing that's going to
stop a hyperscaler from building
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out compute capacity, right?
But if the energy grid can't
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keep up with it, then all you
get basically are increasing
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prices.
And that can without additional
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capacity, whatever additional
compute you build just lays
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dormant and it doesn't get used.
So, you know, the, the energy
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constraint is the functional
capacity for, you know, the, for
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AI rate of change development
just in general.
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And that's going to be true
whether we're talking the, you
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know, the United States or
Europe or China or, you know,
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the Southeast Asia and other
places.
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That's, that's the limiting
factor everywhere.
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And it's, it's contingent upon,
you know, a country being able
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00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,880
to supply and feed that beast as
much as it can.
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00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,400
China is obviously better
positioned than most to be able
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00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,159
to to to weather that storm, but
even they have fuel constraints
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as well.
Can can you wrap some numbers
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around it for us, Matt, just to
hammer home the the point like
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what, what has the the growth
rate of, of electricity demand
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being to date fairly flat as I
understand it and and what are
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00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:51,520
we kind of looking at this, this
step change being?
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00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:55,280
It's, it's relatively flat.
I mean, I think if you go back
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00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,120
and look at we're, we're moving
from a completely flat
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00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:00,400
environment as far as power
demand growth in the United
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00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,760
States to, you know, maybe one
2% per year, which is still
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00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:07,120
pretty flat, mind you.
But when you, when you take a
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00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:10,400
look at the, for me, the, the
where, the place where you can
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00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:12,480
actually see it play out is in
power prices.
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And power prices are incredibly
volatile.
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00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,000
But if you take, you know, a, a
moving average and you look at
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it over time, well, since 2021,
since this build out really
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began, power prices had just
moved steadily up into the right
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at like a 10 or a 15° angle.
And I, I don't think there's,
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you know, there, there's
capacity to absorb a hockey
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stick in the short term.
Like we just had, you know,
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00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:39,880
massive winter storm plow
through the US and then a follow
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up one on the back of it.
We had some freeze off, some
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natural gas, But for the most
part, it seemed like the
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00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:50,920
utilities were, were prepared
for it to some degree, you know,
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00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:56,560
but but the, the ability to
absorb a sustained spike over
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time, I think is eventually
would impact the hyperscalers as
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00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:02,480
well.
So, you know, in that, in that
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00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:06,440
sense, you know, can I quantify
it in terms of demand?
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00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,320
I, I think we'll just have a,
you know, one, 2% power demand
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00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,200
growth until price begins to get
in the way.
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00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:14,600
When, when that is I, I don't
know.
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00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:19,480
That's a function of capital
access rather than, you know,
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00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,240
the energy grid here at this
point in time, right now, the
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00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,680
grid is you get what you get and
you don't get upset more so than
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00:10:25,680 --> 00:10:28,720
anything else.
One of the one of these, one of
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00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:31,080
the realities of the build out
of the the the data centres
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00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,560
required is they're also very
like aluminium intensive.
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00:10:33,560 --> 00:10:37,360
They need a, a, a bunch of extra
aluminium and then building out
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00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,120
the aluminium smelter capacity.
Well, aluminium smelters are
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00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:42,720
incredibly energy intensive
themselves.
200
00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,760
So there's like, you know, an,
an extra layer of energy
201
00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:50,040
intensity required to service
the data sensors from, from new
202
00:10:50,040 --> 00:10:52,600
aluminium demand growth that
that comes out.
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00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:54,840
And, and aluminium is an
interesting one because where,
204
00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:56,480
where there is a lot of like
capacity build out in the
205
00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,000
aluminium sector.
It is in Indonesia right now and
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00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:03,920
in Indonesia incredibly topical
for the sea born thermal market
207
00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,560
this week as like there's
there's news out that they're
208
00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:12,000
reducing supply quote as well
like 40 to 70% on 2025 levels.
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00:11:12,360 --> 00:11:15,080
Is that like a, is that right?
And B, like surely this has an
210
00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,480
enormous impact on on thermal
seaborne markets.
211
00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:22,320
Yeah, we, so my partner Joe
Aldina and I actually just did a
212
00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:24,120
podcast talking about this exact
thing.
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00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:27,480
And one of the things we
highlighted was, and I asked
214
00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,120
about, I was at Woodmac at the
last time this happened, which
215
00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:36,040
was back in 2021 on a, on a
temporary visit to my old
216
00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,800
stomping grounds.
And the, the net result is these
217
00:11:39,800 --> 00:11:41,840
are headline numbers, the 40 to
70%.
218
00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,440
We're not going to decrease
production by 40 to 70%.
219
00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:48,440
It's, you know, it's a stick
that's meant to get people to
220
00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:50,680
reduce production.
So you'll start to see some
221
00:11:50,680 --> 00:11:53,360
mines come off, you'll start to
see some supply rationale, but
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00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,160
it's not going to get to 40%.
It'll get to, you know, you
223
00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,480
know, few million tons, 100
million tons or something like
224
00:11:59,480 --> 00:12:01,560
that.
And then it'll start to, to
225
00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:03,920
taper off.
And that's, that's OK.
226
00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,560
I mean you can pull that much
out of the market that helps
227
00:12:07,560 --> 00:12:10,800
that helps the, you know, the
other suppliers in the basin
228
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:15,080
that'll help you know, Newcastle
5500 kind of get off the schneid
229
00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:17,000
as well.
It's been, you know, languishing
230
00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,360
down here much the ankle
chagrin.
231
00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,640
Think about how how how big a
pricey ankle share would be
232
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,640
share pricey ankle would have if
we can actually get 5500 moving.
233
00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:32,280
So, you know, I, I don't really
look at the at the headline
234
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:36,960
numbers so much as I look at it
as just a geopolitical way to
235
00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:41,520
get supply ration to some degree
to support, you know, kind of
236
00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,280
broader markets.
And I think we need that.
237
00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:47,760
I mean, we got a nice little
jump in Newcastle prices here
238
00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,160
this week.
I like about a $5 jump or so up
239
00:12:50,160 --> 00:12:53,720
at 1:16.
But that's been the first kind
240
00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:59,920
of like bullish feeling I've had
in the thermal coal world for a
241
00:12:59,920 --> 00:13:01,760
while, you know?
At the margin, this is
242
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:05,360
incredibly constructive though.
Like, yeah.
243
00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:08,200
Can you speak to the demand
side?
244
00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,440
We touched on it in the States
and North America there, but how
245
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:15,040
is Asian demand kind of looking?
There's been so much made of
246
00:13:15,040 --> 00:13:18,280
China's build out of Avs and we
kind of know where a lot of the
247
00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:20,120
power of that needs to kind of
come from.
248
00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,320
So what's the narrative there
looking like at the moment?
249
00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:26,480
Asking the wrong guy here at
this point in time that's more
250
00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,880
of a question for my partner.
We've kind of bifurcated into
251
00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,040
thermal and met coal markets.
I'll be sure and have him on the
252
00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:35,400
next time.
As far as, as far as I know, you
253
00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,120
know, I think that the price is
kind of spoken for itself with
254
00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:41,000
regard to demand.
We we have, we have plenty of
255
00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,360
supply to support any demand
creases that's out there here at
256
00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:48,200
the moment.
But you know, even just the JKM
257
00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:55,800
price going up from, you know, I
want to say, what is this 1562
258
00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,440
to 1790?
I mean, we had a, you know, 10
259
00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,200
year 20% move up and that's
really supported, you know,
260
00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,760
Newcastle prices here.
When when those sorts of things
261
00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:08,440
happen and you see Newcastle
that responsive that quickly
262
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:13,360
that that means that behind the
the scenes there is tighter
263
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:15,840
availability for those types of
coals that you think there are.
264
00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:19,680
So I don't think it'll take much
in terms of either incremental
265
00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:23,800
supply rationalization or
incremental demand increases to,
266
00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:25,800
to get thermal coal moving
again.
267
00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,680
I'm not sure we're going to see
the blow off tops like we've
268
00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,480
seen in the past.
But you know, the in the before
269
00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,240
times, what was the typically
the highs of a cycle are now the
270
00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:37,840
lows.
And then, you know, we could
271
00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:41,560
probably see $200 Newcastle
again, you know within three to
272
00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:44,920
four years assuming that, you
know, demand continues,
273
00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:47,160
continues on at the pace that
it's that's currently on.
274
00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,240
On the yeah, the, the China side
of things, maybe even from from
275
00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,360
like a met perspective, like the
thing that I guess like really
276
00:14:55,360 --> 00:15:00,840
took the wind out of out of out
of coal in 2324 was the, the,
277
00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,960
the ability for China to, to
source a lot of its, you know,
278
00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:08,320
coal, coal demand from, from
increased production from, from
279
00:15:08,360 --> 00:15:12,400
Mongolia, which was yeah, cut
off and then and subsequently
280
00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,800
kind of ramped pretty hard.
What are those dynamics like
281
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,960
for, for Mongolian coal into
China now?
282
00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:21,080
Is it still still ramping
strong?
283
00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:26,720
Any any changes there?
As far as volumes go, I think
284
00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,080
we've kind of hit the the wall
of where volumes are going to
285
00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:32,640
be.
I mean you can to have any
286
00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,320
additional imports you'll
actually need to build out
287
00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,120
transport capacity.
So as soon as you see those
288
00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,000
capital allocations get the get
completed then then there will
289
00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:46,680
be an incremental uptick.
But what China's done on the
290
00:15:46,720 --> 00:15:51,720
medical side is they've they've
done their, they've increased
291
00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,960
domestic production.
They were, they were down in
292
00:15:55,080 --> 00:16:00,520
last year, I want to say maybe
15% on the met side for, for key
293
00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:05,360
components, which kept their
reliance on the seaborne market.
294
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,640
But as soon as that began to go
in the other direction, that's
295
00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:11,440
what really coincided with the
bottom falling out of met prices
296
00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:15,440
and those sorts of things.
And now like this quarter, China
297
00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:16,880
hasn't been setting the price at
all.
298
00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,880
There's not really much urgency
for them to go into the market
299
00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,240
to pick up premium low Vol tons.
Kind of what they've been doing
300
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:26,240
is they're relying on domestic
production.
301
00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:29,680
They're supplementing that with,
you know, the maximum amount of
302
00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:31,920
tons they can import from
Mongolia and Russia.
303
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:35,880
And then they're going out to
the market for, you know, a few
304
00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,840
million tons a month of Kohl's
with strength contributing
305
00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:42,920
property.
So going to Canada for for good
306
00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:45,360
premium mid volatile coal.
They're going to Australia for
307
00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:48,040
mostly for premium mid Vol,
something they can get kind of
308
00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:50,200
off spec second tier hard
cooking coal.
309
00:16:51,360 --> 00:16:53,960
Like that's kind of what China's
been in the market for.
310
00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:58,320
So the driver of this medical
run up to 200 and 52150 bucks
311
00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,760
plus in the physical market has
been India.
312
00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,000
So India's really showed up in a
big way.
313
00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:06,000
And if you look at their steel
prices, their steel prices have
314
00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,520
come up commensurately with
cooking coal prices.
315
00:17:08,520 --> 00:17:13,560
So the more room that their
domestic market gives them, the
316
00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,720
more resilient that that PLV
prices are going to be.
317
00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:18,960
It's been good to see.
We've been talking about it for
318
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,640
a couple of years, but it's nice
to see it play out that way for
319
00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,520
once.
Those those global steel cycles
320
00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,160
really, yeah, like really,
really map out a lot of this
321
00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:31,120
demand, right.
And, and, and India's a much
322
00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:35,000
earlier like, yeah, like he's,
he's at an early stage in that
323
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,920
steel cycle that China would
have experienced many, many, you
324
00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:40,400
know, many years ago now.
Yeah.
325
00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,920
I mean, they're they're kind of
taking the reins from where
326
00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:44,720
China left off.
So we're going to see China
327
00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:48,440
contract relatively slowly, you
know, turn inward for their
328
00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:51,400
supply much like they've been.
But India can really ramp up
329
00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,080
through the end of the decade.
I forget how much incremental
330
00:17:56,280 --> 00:18:00,400
steel capacity they have coming
online, but it's, you know, if
331
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,640
you if you pair it down to just
premium low Vol and premium mid
332
00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,240
Vol and you look at what the
forward demand looks like,
333
00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,360
there's not enough that's in the
pipeline in the development
334
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,760
pipeline to supply it.
So more than likely what's going
335
00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,040
to happen is that that demand
will trickle down into second
336
00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:21,120
tier hard cooking coal and
you'll see a kind of a shrinking
337
00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:24,440
of the relativities between the
premium stuff and the next year
338
00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,560
down.
And I think you'll see India use
339
00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:30,480
more PCI.
So the relativities of PLV to
340
00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:32,440
PCI are probably going to shrink
as well.
341
00:18:33,120 --> 00:18:36,160
I think Japan will probably
increase their PCI rates like
342
00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,000
that's that's where I see the
pressure valve to the extent
343
00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:43,680
that there is one being released
in the market now Semisoft
344
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:46,040
highball completely different
supply story.
345
00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,240
That's going to be kind of a
rough go, but I think for for a
346
00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:52,720
year or two.
But once that gets resolved,
347
00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,840
then then everything you know is
going to begin to move up
348
00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,400
commensurately with the with the
rest of the cycle.
349
00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,920
So that there's a lot of hope on
this, this Indian narrative
350
00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:05,160
playing out and a lot of people
have a bit of kind of stock in
351
00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:06,000
it.
What do you, what do you keep
352
00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:11,040
your eyes on to just checking
that it's continuing to play out
353
00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,800
as you've kind of forecast over
the past few years and as we
354
00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:17,720
look forward.
I put out a chart, I try to do
355
00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:19,760
it every couple of weeks or
whatever that just looks at
356
00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,960
Indian steel margins.
So I I, you know, take, you
357
00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,000
know, POV Med coal and whatever
the current shipping rates are
358
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:29,560
to Indian, we just deliver it to
a fictitious plan and then run a
359
00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:32,200
cost stack off of that and see
what their margin is.
360
00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:35,480
When the margins have been
deeply negative or or you know,
361
00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,680
are inflecting to the downside
that has for the last year or so
362
00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:43,040
indicated that we're going to
have a rough go of the next sort
363
00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:45,760
of few months.
And vice versa.
364
00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:51,000
When steel prices allow, you
know, Indians to go into the
365
00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,880
market and and pick up and
actually pick up tons at
366
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,480
reasonable prices, then the
cycle goes the other way.
367
00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,840
So really that's what I'm kind
of using as an on off lever.
368
00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:03,840
And, you know, we're writing
about it on on the
369
00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:06,360
coaltrader.com,
thecoaltrader.substack.com.
370
00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:09,240
As often as we can.
But that's like, for me, that's
371
00:20:09,240 --> 00:20:13,520
the bellwether now is what, what
is the health of India's steel
372
00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:17,360
industry right now?
It's OK.
373
00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:19,960
You know, last year was pretty
bad.
374
00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,520
We, we've, we've graduated from
bad to OK.
375
00:20:23,200 --> 00:20:25,440
But as we see it in the, you
know, the Coca-Cola stock
376
00:20:25,440 --> 00:20:28,200
prices, when you go from
terrible to less bad, that's
377
00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:29,920
usually where you get the
highest beta, right?
378
00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,040
That, that's really interesting
because if we, if we look back
379
00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:35,960
the last 10 or 20 years and, and
I'm pretty green here, so I'm
380
00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:37,880
really curious to hear what you
have to say.
381
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:42,760
The, the Chinese steel sector
has not always been the most
382
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,440
profitable.
It's, it's waxed and waned, but
383
00:20:44,440 --> 00:20:47,520
there's been some atrocious
years of, of profitability for
384
00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,520
the, for the steel makers out
of, out of China.
385
00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,800
But on the whole, if we look
back over the last 2020 odd
386
00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,520
years, it has grown quite
phenomenally to to the point you
387
00:20:56,520 --> 00:20:58,920
made before where it's kind of
plateaued recently.
388
00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:03,440
So is that different in India
for for the dynamics of how the
389
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:05,080
the industries come up come
about?
390
00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:09,720
That's a good question.
I'm not quite sure how to answer
391
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:14,440
that to be fair.
But what I would say is that,
392
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:20,840
you know, when I look back on
China, we used to, you know, I
393
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:24,800
think when I, when I started
forecasting on my own, you know,
394
00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,360
not, not a part of Wood McKenzie
or, or working on the equity
395
00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:32,680
side.
You know, one of the things that
396
00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:37,280
I sort of looked at was I want
to say the average margin at a
397
00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:40,400
Chinese mill over like 10 years
when I started doing this in
398
00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:44,760
2021 was like 4 dollars, $4.00
of EBITDA.
399
00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:48,960
That's before everything else.
So it was clear that China was,
400
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:51,720
you know, basically running
their steel mills at a cost
401
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:57,560
center to fuel domestic growth.
When I look at II kind of likes
402
00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,400
to make money.
So I don't think they're going
403
00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:03,640
to look the same as a command
economy going forward.
404
00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,840
They have a much freer markets,
obviously, you know, much more
405
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,880
kind of geopolitically aligned
with the West.
406
00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:14,120
And so I think what you'll see
in India is more typical cycle
407
00:22:14,120 --> 00:22:16,000
fits and starts.
It's not going to be an engine
408
00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:19,920
that goes, you know, 100 miles
an hour at a constant speed
409
00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,600
when, when the steelmaker start
to hurt from profitability
410
00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:25,360
perspective, you know, you'll,
they'll slow down.
411
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:29,480
They're more incentivized to, to
take those market cues than,
412
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:32,600
than the Chinese are, which
honestly, from an investment
413
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,640
standpoint, I think that's a
good thing that benefits us
414
00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,160
because then cycles do become a
little bit more predictable as
415
00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,160
opposed to operating on the whim
of the next five year plan.
416
00:22:42,200 --> 00:22:46,480
So I, I think that's going to be
by and large more profitable
417
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:50,080
for, for the investing side of
things as we go forward.
418
00:22:51,360 --> 00:22:53,960
Matt, you call Matt, you're a
cost curve guy.
419
00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:58,320
And I, I'm just, I'm keen to
understand and appreciate how
420
00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,280
cost curves have have evolved or
that what are the dynamics
421
00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:04,600
amongst those kind of cost
curves like say, say the changes
422
00:23:04,600 --> 00:23:09,800
in the last like 4 years?
Well, most of the changes have
423
00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:14,520
occurred on the on twofold.
Well, one is on the mining side,
424
00:23:14,520 --> 00:23:18,440
we've had a lot of Labor cost
inflation around the globe.
425
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,720
I think that's, you know, it's
maybe not exactly uniform from
426
00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,800
country to country, but that has
been a theme in order to
427
00:23:24,800 --> 00:23:28,960
incentivize, you know, men and
women to go work in these
428
00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:32,720
industries, you have to pay them
a wage that encourages it.
429
00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:38,720
And that's, that's that's been
the reality certainly in where I
430
00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:41,960
come from in West Virginia.
You know, there's, there's no
431
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:45,240
love lost between, you know, the
people in the industry over the
432
00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,040
years.
So if you want to, you know,
433
00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,680
bring a third generation, 4th
generation coal miner to work
434
00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:56,000
after he's seen, you know, his
father and his grandfather, you
435
00:23:56,000 --> 00:23:58,400
know, and they, and they saw
that his great grandfather go
436
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,680
through these, these employment
cycles.
437
00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,160
It's a, it's a much tougher sell
than it used to be.
438
00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:08,320
You know, I think that probably
changes to some degree going
439
00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:11,160
forward as we increase
automation within the industry.
440
00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,000
I'm not, you know, on the on the
bleeding edge of equipment
441
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,000
development and those two
things, but I would I would
442
00:24:19,000 --> 00:24:23,640
expect to see a pretty hefty
amount of automation if we have
443
00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,520
this conversation in say, 10
years.
444
00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:31,720
I went to a conference in
Pittsburgh early June and there
445
00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,400
was a remote joy was running a
remote continuous minor
446
00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:37,960
operator.
And it's like playing a video
447
00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:38,680
game.
It's amazing.
448
00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,240
But they're, they're what they
want to do is they want to have
449
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,760
people be able to sit at the
surface and run these machines
450
00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,800
underground and then you just
send in, you know, essential
451
00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:51,400
maintenance.
When we get to that point, I'm
452
00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:53,960
not sure what the cost curve is
going to look like that if we
453
00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:57,360
have that kind of Labor cost
deflation, is that offset by
454
00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,080
maintenance CapEx?
Is that offset by equipment
455
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:02,880
purchases?
Geological.
456
00:25:04,280 --> 00:25:06,520
Yeah.
Yeah, I think that's to be
457
00:25:06,520 --> 00:25:11,360
determined over time.
But the the other, the other
458
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,760
cost increase in general has
been the the royalty side from
459
00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:18,200
the government side and that's
been entirely in Australia.
460
00:25:18,240 --> 00:25:24,040
So if we see a reversal of that,
you know, sometime in the next
461
00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:27,440
before the end of the decade, I
mean that will that would really
462
00:25:27,440 --> 00:25:29,360
shift the top end of the cost
curve.
463
00:25:30,360 --> 00:25:35,000
So, you know, we wouldn't be
able to, you know, have these
464
00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,200
blow off numbers, I don't think
at all.
465
00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,600
I think he'd probably put a cap
at like 300 and 5400 bucks and
466
00:25:41,600 --> 00:25:44,080
that would be the end of it.
So Matt's not at the forefront
467
00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:46,080
of mining equipment
advancements.
468
00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:49,080
Maybe we should introduce him to
Derek Hurd, because Derek Hurd
469
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,200
is at the forefront of mining
equipment advancements.
470
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,080
Sandvik Ground Support.
CSI.
471
00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:58,920
It's, it's literally in their
DNA to bring R&D of ground
472
00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:03,240
support to the industry via new
products every, it feels like
473
00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,320
every week.
Right, 150 years they've been
474
00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,080
doing this for.
It's their bread and butter
475
00:26:08,080 --> 00:26:10,000
innovation.
They're at the bleeding edge of
476
00:26:10,000 --> 00:26:12,720
keeping mine workers safe.
Like 150 years.
477
00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:14,480
It's crazy.
I don't even know mines have
478
00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:17,920
been here for that long.
Even even longer mate, but as
479
00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:19,880
long as you've got mines, you've
got to have them safe and that's
480
00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,680
what Sandvik do.
And like like Matt said, they're
481
00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,480
at the bleeding edge of ground
support, so if you've got an
482
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:28,280
underground mine in any
continent on the planet, they
483
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:31,560
can look after you mate.
Get in touch with Sandvik ground
484
00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:33,280
support.
Derek Kurd will fix you up.
485
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,000
Go Sandvik.
So help me, help me just
486
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,760
appreciate how you witnessed
this like the, the enormous kind
487
00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,360
of royalty regime that was
introduced in, in, in Queensland
488
00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:48,520
to a lesser part in, in, in New
South Wales that it's, it's like
489
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,320
morphed the cost curve with,
with those, with many of those
490
00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:53,880
assets like lower half or upper
half.
491
00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:56,360
And now I'm guessing it's just
it's lifted the kind of the
492
00:26:56,360 --> 00:27:00,960
floor to the benefit of of, you
know, X Australia Seabourn
493
00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:05,440
producers who have been able to
capture greater margin at A at a
494
00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:10,520
higher floor price.
So if we think about what the
495
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,560
marginal ton is, what the cost
of that mine is in the before
496
00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:18,040
times when we were building out
the, the cost curve at Woodmac
497
00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:21,760
for Matt, I would have said that
probably was somewhere in the
498
00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:25,840
one 20s, which meant that you
would have had it, you know, for
499
00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:27,840
any sort of two or three month
period.
500
00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:31,840
You can, you know, spot price
can go down 25% below that.
501
00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:36,000
People shut down operations and
it and it comes back up.
502
00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,360
And I want to say that, you
know, in the last really
503
00:27:40,360 --> 00:27:44,120
terrible bear cycle, Metco
bottomed out in the low 90s.
504
00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:49,680
So that kind of tracks that
number now I'm pretty sure is
505
00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:55,960
about 16165, which used to be
the long term price assumption
506
00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:02,320
for for PLV.
So and you know, it, it also
507
00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:04,800
makes the cost curve more
volatile from year to year.
508
00:28:05,120 --> 00:28:09,680
So when you have these, these
blow off tops, Australia moves
509
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:14,240
to the, to the top of the curve
and the US stays steady.
510
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:18,920
So you have this like change
that that never used to have
511
00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,680
never used to be in existence at
all.
512
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:27,760
And if the, if the US is setting
the cost floor for the rest of
513
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,160
the world, well, I can guarantee
that's going to be pretty high.
514
00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,720
So there's, there's a lot of
tolerance for volatility when we
515
00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,680
get up into those into the upper
stratosphere.
516
00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:44,480
So, you know, All in all, we
were asked the question on the
517
00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:46,800
podcast today.
Like, where do you think you
518
00:28:46,800 --> 00:28:48,520
know what we get five years down
the road?
519
00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:50,840
What's what'll, what'll have
been the average price?
520
00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:58,000
And I remember I was I was
having dinner with Andy Edson
521
00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,080
about two or three years ago,
and he asked me that question.
522
00:29:00,080 --> 00:29:03,280
I said probably about 265.
You know, if you think of the
523
00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:11,040
bottom AS160165 bucks and you
think of the, you know, the, the
524
00:29:11,040 --> 00:29:14,280
peak of the market probably
without the, you know, a Russia,
525
00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,960
Ukraine layered over top of it
is probably, you know, three,
526
00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:20,280
5400.
If you kind of just go to the
527
00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:24,680
mean, you're going to wind up at
about 252-6265.
528
00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:29,760
And that's plenty for, you know,
a higher cost miner to make
529
00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,600
money, make a 20% profit on top
of maintenance CapEx, whatever
530
00:29:33,600 --> 00:29:36,880
logistics they have.
That to me is kind of where
531
00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:41,640
prices have to be for POV to
just maintain the status quo.
532
00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:45,000
If you can't do that and more
supply comes out, then that
533
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:49,200
number winds up being higher
until you know, till robots take
534
00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:52,440
over the world.
Well, if robots take over the
535
00:29:52,440 --> 00:29:58,880
world, I actually, there's this
AI paradox now, I think.
536
00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:04,200
And it's, and it's the, the,
the, the reality is that
537
00:30:04,360 --> 00:30:07,440
technological advancements now
require more fossil fuel as
538
00:30:07,440 --> 00:30:10,280
opposed to becoming energy
dependent or relying on, on new
539
00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:11,720
energy.
We actually need more fossil
540
00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:13,920
fuels as a result of the, the
latest technological
541
00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,800
advancement.
So if robots take over the
542
00:30:15,800 --> 00:30:18,320
world, I think we're still going
to need a ton more coal.
543
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:21,760
Yeah, if they're, if they even
plan to take over the world,
544
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:22,800
we're going to need a ton more
steel.
545
00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,360
I'm not sure what I mean.
We're going to build those
546
00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,160
robots out of aluminum that
that's another quandary we get
547
00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:31,800
into.
So, yeah, there's, there's no,
548
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:35,200
you know, it's hard for me to
not to look at the next decade
549
00:30:35,200 --> 00:30:38,360
and not think that, you know,
all the companies that that we
550
00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,160
love and have been close to for
the last, you know, decade or so
551
00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:45,000
are going to fare really well.
This is going to be a pretty,
552
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:48,040
pretty important transition, not
just for the industry, but I
553
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,120
think for, you know, for
humankind as well.
554
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,040
The last time we had you on the
show, we were we were speaking
555
00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:57,360
about M&A and consolidation in
this, in this space with the
556
00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,800
Peabody deal that ultimately
fell through.
557
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,560
So if you do think ahead 10
years, is there, is there more,
558
00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:04,960
is there less companies?
What does it kind of look like?
559
00:31:04,960 --> 00:31:08,160
And in the near term, are there
deals playing in the back of
560
00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:11,320
your mind?
It's interesting.
561
00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,240
Well, somebody's going to have
to come in and take the Anglo
562
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:17,280
assets.
I'm not sure who is going to be
563
00:31:17,280 --> 00:31:20,360
the best candidate for that.
You know, I would have said BHP
564
00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:26,720
a while ago, but you know, now
that Anglo is sort of, you know,
565
00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:30,640
engaged, I'm not sure what
that's going to look like on
566
00:31:30,640 --> 00:31:35,360
down the road.
You know, I think in the US
567
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:37,280
we'll have some consolidation
over time.
568
00:31:37,760 --> 00:31:43,200
I think, you know, companies I
think Core probably wants to
569
00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,400
acquire.
I would venture to guess over
570
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:52,800
time, I would, I wouldn't be
surprised if AMR or Warrior both
571
00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:57,880
were interested in acquiring.
But I think at the at the crux
572
00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:01,480
of the question is everybody
needs more low Vol.
573
00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:05,760
And that's what we're going to
need to, you know, see people
574
00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:09,720
invest in, you know, whether
that's low Vol PCI, second tier,
575
00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:16,160
hard cooking, coal premium mid
Vol, you know, PCI like all we
576
00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,880
need all of the above and
there's not enough of it in the
577
00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:24,560
market to sustain it.
So, you know, I, I think M&A
578
00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:28,080
makes sense.
I think we, we will see somebody
579
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,240
come in and eventually restart a
lot of these mines that have
580
00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:32,760
that have been shut down here
recently.
581
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,520
But you know, who's going to
lead that capital cycle?
582
00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,880
I wouldn't be surprised if it's
someone like Matt Lattimore.
583
00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:46,360
I think think he's position
pretty well to, you know, to
584
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,920
make a move here in the next
during the next cycle at some
585
00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:51,960
point the cold.
Tycoon of this cycle,
586
00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:57,800
undoubtedly.
Yeah, for sure the II is going
587
00:32:57,800 --> 00:33:01,600
to be very involved, yeah.
I imagine a bunch will pop out
588
00:33:01,600 --> 00:33:04,880
of Glen Tinto if if that deal
eventually, I'd still be plenty
589
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:06,960
of plenty of divestments
subsequent to that deal.
590
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,880
Yeah, and we're talking about
maybe a coal spin out of the
591
00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,320
Glen Tinto deal as well.
I'm here for that.
592
00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:18,680
Give that to me all day.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
593
00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:24,480
Let's let's talk about Lattimore
briefly because a recent, a
594
00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:29,400
recent deal that that they did
do was acquire Illawarra out of
595
00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:30,960
S 32.
Do you think that will come back
596
00:33:31,080 --> 00:33:32,560
to market in some way, shape or
form?
597
00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:35,840
Do you think they'll yeah,
that'll that'll find like a
598
00:33:36,040 --> 00:33:39,920
public vehicle?
Public vehicle.
599
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:41,880
That's a good question.
I don't necessarily know the
600
00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:47,480
answer to that, but I think it
would, it would make sense
601
00:33:47,480 --> 00:33:50,680
especially if he were able to,
you know, tack on a few other
602
00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:56,120
acquisitions as well.
So I saw they had the they had
603
00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:59,200
an incident up there at some
point in time here recently.
604
00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:01,920
I'm not sure what the, what the
current status is of those
605
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,000
operations, but the, the, the
message I think is pretty clear
606
00:34:06,560 --> 00:34:09,760
is that if you're operating in
Australia, an economy of scale
607
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,679
will do you really well.
I mean, BH PS been able to
608
00:34:13,679 --> 00:34:15,960
weather those, those production
storms because they have a
609
00:34:15,960 --> 00:34:20,120
pretty big portfolio of assets.
And I think that's, you know,
610
00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,280
that's that's the case as well.
It's like if you're a single
611
00:34:23,280 --> 00:34:25,960
asset, producers have been, you
know, very exposed to these
612
00:34:25,960 --> 00:34:29,159
price cycles in the past.
So you need to get it that
613
00:34:29,159 --> 00:34:34,320
critical, you know, 345, you
know, operations and preferably
614
00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:38,120
as many as you can in the
premium segment as well in order
615
00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:43,560
to be I think guaranteed a, you
know, a throne in the next, in
616
00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:45,920
the next cycle.
That's actually, I'm glad you
617
00:34:45,920 --> 00:34:49,080
mentioned BHP because that's,
that's we heard a rumor like I
618
00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:54,080
want to say October last year
that yeah, BHP would was likely
619
00:34:54,080 --> 00:35:00,640
to to evaluate a divestment of
BMA by the calendar end of
620
00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:02,400
calendar year 26.
Do you think there's that's
621
00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:04,000
Johnson?
So do you think, do you think
622
00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:06,600
that might hold up if, if the
royalty regime in Queensland
623
00:35:06,600 --> 00:35:11,720
stays where it is?
I don't think that's out of the
624
00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:14,320
question at all.
I mean, it would they kind of
625
00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,000
signaled that they want to line
that down to some degree in the
626
00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:24,680
past and you know what the right
price, especially with those
627
00:35:24,680 --> 00:35:26,440
remaining reserves.
Like do you want to carry that
628
00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,240
operating risk on through
another capital cycle for them
629
00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:33,720
when they have, you know, bigger
fish to fry elsewhere?
630
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:35,880
It's a good question.
I wouldn't be surprised to see
631
00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:39,120
it change hands at some point in
time or maybe not all of it, but
632
00:35:39,720 --> 00:35:43,960
one or two targeted mines over
over a period of time or
633
00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,080
alternately they acquire
something and then spin it out.
634
00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:48,560
I think that would be pretty
reasonable as well.
635
00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:51,800
Excuse our Australian bias, but
you know we're just going to
636
00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:54,800
keep talking about Australian
coal companies that but.
637
00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,200
Well, like on that point, Trev,
in the context of bombastin and,
638
00:36:00,520 --> 00:36:04,040
and the fact that there's next
to no new mines coming online,
639
00:36:04,720 --> 00:36:07,960
given the, the, the high quality
nature and the, the strategic
640
00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:12,160
placement of, of the assets and
the, you know, the shackles they
641
00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:14,920
have with the royalty regime,
you'd have to think it'd be,
642
00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:20,400
it'd be kind of appealing with,
you know, the, you know, as an
643
00:36:20,400 --> 00:36:23,240
option type play with the idea
that maybe the royalties roll
644
00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:25,440
off in a, in a few years time.
That could be something that's
645
00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:28,600
that's pretty interesting
depending on on prices you put
646
00:36:28,600 --> 00:36:32,720
it there.
Yeah, if the royalty regime went
647
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:38,120
back to the before times, let's
say in five years.
648
00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:41,680
That won't happen.
No, not not while state like
649
00:36:41,680 --> 00:36:45,560
Queensland state debt just
explodes exponentially faster
650
00:36:45,560 --> 00:36:46,640
than the.
Royalty revenue?
651
00:36:46,640 --> 00:36:49,680
Oh, easy.
That's that's true.
652
00:36:49,680 --> 00:36:52,800
That's true, yeah.
But let's let's say they they
653
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:57,240
use all of them back then.
Yeah, I mean, that's a call
654
00:36:57,240 --> 00:36:59,600
option on whatever purchase it
is that you make, right.
655
00:36:59,600 --> 00:37:02,960
You can't necessarily work that
into the you know, you could
656
00:37:02,960 --> 00:37:05,720
write it in as a scenario in
terms of a potential valuation,
657
00:37:05,720 --> 00:37:09,800
but without, you know, without
any, you know, guarantee of of
658
00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:11,400
whether or not that's going to
happen, I don't think you can
659
00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:15,040
pay for it.
It's, you know, you can maybe
660
00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:19,160
use it to justify, you know, an
additional 5, 10% upside or
661
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,680
something like that, but.
The structure of those royalties
662
00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:24,120
was, was mental as well, because
it was designed to kind of
663
00:37:24,120 --> 00:37:27,480
capture this super profit
period, but but at these fixed
664
00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:31,240
price levels.
And so like, you know, it became
665
00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,640
increasingly onerous at the
above certain fixed kind of like
666
00:37:34,640 --> 00:37:37,360
prices, right.
And and now with just the, the
667
00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:41,040
event of inflation, it, it, it
completely just erodes any, any
668
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:43,760
ability for these businesses to
have any margin over time,
669
00:37:43,760 --> 00:37:46,960
right.
You would think so, but at the
670
00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,840
same time, you know, the US is
doing a really outstanding job
671
00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:52,480
of torching the dollar here at
the moment.
672
00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:59,640
And and yeah, right.
I mean, the, the, the Australian
673
00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:03,840
U.S. dollar crossed 70 for the
first time and God knows how
674
00:38:03,840 --> 00:38:04,800
long.
It's been a while.
675
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:09,000
And at least when I run my
models, that's the difference in
676
00:38:09,000 --> 00:38:13,960
price there is about plus $5 on,
you know, on long term forecast
677
00:38:13,960 --> 00:38:18,280
for a, for met coal.
But the other thing it does is
678
00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:23,000
it, I mean, if it'll say if the,
if the Aussie dollar went back
679
00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:27,160
to parity, like where it was,
you know, during the last, you
680
00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,400
know, during the first coal boom
that I went through, well that
681
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,320
that takes away a lot of the,
the upside for royalties.
682
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,640
You know, if we get back up to
300 four, $100 and we're saying
683
00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,880
that's the Max that, you know,
these other countries, steel,
684
00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:43,560
steel industries can handle.
Well, if that's only 300 or 400
685
00:38:43,560 --> 00:38:46,080
Aussie dollars at the same time,
that's not quite as big of a hit
686
00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:52,240
that the government will get.
So, you know, the, the US hasn't
687
00:38:52,400 --> 00:38:56,280
has a, you know, sort of a what
is that a tertiary role to play
688
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,960
in, in, in how that pans out
over time.
689
00:39:01,240 --> 00:39:05,360
So, and that and, you know,
speaking, you know, solely from
690
00:39:05,360 --> 00:39:08,760
from perspective over here, it
ain't stopping during this
691
00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,960
presidency.
There is a 0% chance that we
692
00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:17,920
will stop hemorrhaging money, I
think over the next three years.
693
00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:22,360
And, and I'm not sure that the,
you know, even in the event of,
694
00:39:23,480 --> 00:39:26,000
you know, Democrats taking over
the Senate and us returning to
695
00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:29,600
gridlock or God forbid, you
know, whoever the, the next to
696
00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,200
the next Democratic president
is, we're, we're going to have
697
00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:37,120
different, different versions of
the same problem until something
698
00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:41,080
breaks here in the US.
So I, I think, I think we're
699
00:39:41,080 --> 00:39:45,000
kind of at the beginning of a,
of a currency cycle that is way
700
00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,560
above my pay grade, but
something that I think all of us
701
00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:50,760
will have to pay very close
attention to over the coming
702
00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,200
five years.
Because what if, if I can change
703
00:39:54,200 --> 00:39:57,560
the value of the currency by 10%
and that changes the METCO price
704
00:39:57,560 --> 00:40:00,560
by $5, What happens if we change
it by 30%?
705
00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:06,880
That's that's kind of where, you
know, I have to take off my
706
00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:10,320
analyst hat and just go.
I don't know what's going to
707
00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:11,600
happen here at this point in
time.
708
00:40:11,800 --> 00:40:15,320
So most of what we can do is
just take the, the, the, the
709
00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:17,800
variables that we have, plug
them into the model and solve
710
00:40:17,800 --> 00:40:20,200
for X.
And when we start mucking around
711
00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:23,960
with the variables, you know,
that's a pretty wide range of
712
00:40:23,960 --> 00:40:27,880
outcomes for, for everything.
So it's a, it's why I hate
713
00:40:27,880 --> 00:40:29,160
politics, man.
It's so fun.
714
00:40:29,520 --> 00:40:31,680
When you plug those variables
into your models.
715
00:40:32,120 --> 00:40:36,720
Man, I'm just, I'm, I'm keen to
depict how you know, your
716
00:40:36,720 --> 00:40:40,200
relative preference of, of the,
of the cold stocks we're
717
00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,840
familiar with by, by, you know,
relative to their current price.
718
00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:47,040
You know, I think just just if
you could like order names like
719
00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:52,480
Stanmore, Yankel, Whitehaven,
that that'd be wonderful.
720
00:40:54,000 --> 00:40:56,040
I mean, I think, I think
Stanmore is criminally
721
00:40:56,040 --> 00:40:58,920
undervalued down here.
Yeah, I'm just looking at
722
00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:02,360
trailing EV to EBITDA, which
isn't the best metric, but it's
723
00:41:02,360 --> 00:41:05,160
what I have in front of me.
And you know, Whitehaven's up
724
00:41:05,160 --> 00:41:09,640
at, you know, 5 and a 5.3 and
then Stanmore's at 3.8.
725
00:41:09,640 --> 00:41:12,720
That's just wrong.
And then, you know, in the US,
726
00:41:13,160 --> 00:41:17,280
you know, on the Mets side, you
know, Alpha's at 5.5 should be,
727
00:41:17,280 --> 00:41:19,360
shouldn't Whitehaven get the US
multiple?
728
00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:24,160
It should absolutely, you know,
get get something comparable, I
729
00:41:24,160 --> 00:41:28,440
think in those Warriors at 7.9.
I mean, come on, guys, White
730
00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:32,640
Whitehaven's as big a global
player and just as important to
731
00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:34,800
to the global industry and in
more diverse.
732
00:41:35,960 --> 00:41:38,000
Yeah, like let's let's get those
numbers up.
733
00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:41,560
Those are rookie numbers.
Well, you can, you can thank
734
00:41:41,560 --> 00:41:43,160
Aussie Super.
I think they're they're helping
735
00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:45,840
the cause and buying Whitehaven
stock again so.
736
00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:48,760
I mean, it's been on a hater
like it's nearly doubled in the
737
00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:51,880
in the last, I don't know, 12
months or something like that.
738
00:41:51,880 --> 00:41:55,120
So yeah, quietly, quietly
finding popularity.
739
00:41:55,200 --> 00:41:58,120
And that's like that, you know,
I mentioned Aussie Super by
740
00:41:58,280 --> 00:42:00,800
Whitehaven again, but there's,
there's absolutely this kind of
741
00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:03,640
evolution in global capital
allocation.
742
00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:07,680
You know, Black Rocks had many
iterations of its ESG influence
743
00:42:07,680 --> 00:42:09,920
on the world.
And, and we're now in ESG 4
744
00:42:09,920 --> 00:42:14,960
point O era, which is, is the,
the realization that that these
745
00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,160
businesses are incredibly
important to our prosperity and
746
00:42:18,160 --> 00:42:22,200
that they shouldn't have been so
punitive in in their their their
747
00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:24,720
ways of restricting capital
flows into these businesses
748
00:42:24,720 --> 00:42:26,880
previously it.
Matters tremendously for the
749
00:42:26,880 --> 00:42:29,760
cost of capital.
Hey, Matt, like the the change
750
00:42:29,760 --> 00:42:32,240
in debt that these guys are
playing like you've probably got
751
00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:34,120
more, more boots on the ground,
so to speak.
752
00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:36,240
It's cheap again.
Yeah, you can get, you can get
753
00:42:36,240 --> 00:42:37,560
really cheap debt as a coal
company.
754
00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,560
I mean, it was crazy high.
It was it was out of this world
755
00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:42,320
high.
But I'm not sure what the latest
756
00:42:42,320 --> 00:42:45,840
numbers on on debt packages for
the for the states companies
757
00:42:46,120 --> 00:42:48,880
that you're seeing are, but but
it's really pulled in over here.
758
00:42:50,080 --> 00:42:52,720
I mean, you know, I don't think
it's out of the question to be
759
00:42:52,720 --> 00:42:56,280
able to go get an 8 1/2% coupon,
10% coupon somewhere around in
760
00:42:56,280 --> 00:42:57,720
there.
And that was unheard of.
761
00:42:57,720 --> 00:42:59,120
Just a few.
Well, getting anything was
762
00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:00,560
unheard of a few years ago.
Yeah.
763
00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:05,520
And and and the Fed's rate, the
Fed's fund rate was, was next to
764
00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:08,960
0 a few years ago as well.
And now we're whatever it is, 4%
765
00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:10,280
or something.
Yeah.
766
00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:12,560
Yeah, exactly.
I mean, you know, all these coal
767
00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:14,960
companies which were, you know,
left for dead in the first part
768
00:43:14,960 --> 00:43:17,440
of my career all have better
balance sheets than the United
769
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:18,800
States.
So God bless.
770
00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:25,840
That is great.
Just wait for the United States
771
00:43:25,840 --> 00:43:29,840
to nationalize them, then
they'll have bad balance sheets
772
00:43:29,840 --> 00:43:32,000
again.
Never say never.
773
00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:36,280
I yeah, I can see a scenario
where that that could play out.
774
00:43:37,720 --> 00:43:42,040
And but yeah, just looking down
the list, I mean, I think, I
775
00:43:42,040 --> 00:43:44,480
think New Hope is probably
pretty fairly valued here.
776
00:43:44,480 --> 00:43:49,120
They've had a nice little, you
know, 13% up to to kind of catch
777
00:43:49,120 --> 00:43:52,280
up with everybody else here the
last little bit.
778
00:43:52,280 --> 00:43:58,800
Yanco had a nice 20% run last.
And then, yeah, Whitehaven's, I
779
00:43:58,800 --> 00:44:00,960
mean, Whitehaven's going to take
out all time highs of this cycle
780
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:02,480
and just keep going.
Yeah.
781
00:44:02,720 --> 00:44:06,120
So I, I pretty firmly believe in
that the, that we should see it
782
00:44:06,120 --> 00:44:08,560
re rate higher up to sort of the
US guys at least.
783
00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,240
And I want to see Stanmore get
up into the fives like that
784
00:44:12,240 --> 00:44:14,840
should be a $4.00 stock and I'll
see $4.00 stock at least.
785
00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:19,560
Yeah, yeah.
And XASX names where you know
786
00:44:19,840 --> 00:44:21,160
where.
What are your most favored
787
00:44:21,760 --> 00:44:25,080
stocks at the moment?
I mean, I'm still pretty firmly
788
00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,120
on the Mets side.
You know, we're at the beginning
789
00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:30,160
of this cycle here.
I want to be, you know, I'm not
790
00:44:30,160 --> 00:44:33,600
fully sized in anything coal
right now, but I think maybe by
791
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:37,400
the time we get to the end of
shoulder season, end of June, I
792
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:41,600
want, you know, at least, you
know, a 1520% basket, you know,
793
00:44:41,640 --> 00:44:44,840
allocated across the MET sector,
which would include really in no
794
00:44:44,840 --> 00:44:53,760
particular order, AMR Warrior,
HCC, Ramaco, METC, Whitehaven
795
00:44:53,760 --> 00:44:57,840
and Stanmore, I think would be
and core natural resources shit.
796
00:44:57,840 --> 00:44:59,680
And Peabody, I don't have any
Peabody right now either.
797
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:01,960
So there's seven and they're all
fine.
798
00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:05,960
Like, you know, it's, it's sort
of like pick your pick your
799
00:45:05,960 --> 00:45:08,720
horse.
Peabody's interesting because
800
00:45:08,720 --> 00:45:10,680
we're, we're increasing low Vol
production.
801
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:13,280
We're going to have a pretty
good thermal cool year in the
802
00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:15,000
Illinois Basin and the Powder
River Basin.
803
00:45:16,040 --> 00:45:19,200
You know, it's, it's already
completely come back to the
804
00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:22,760
highs from, from the Anglo days
of yore.
805
00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:27,680
But yeah, it's if they start
buying back, back stock,
806
00:45:27,680 --> 00:45:30,880
especially there's, there's room
for that to sort of go higher as
807
00:45:30,880 --> 00:45:35,040
well.
So anyway, I'm, I've got, you
808
00:45:35,040 --> 00:45:38,760
know, I've got my calendar
circled for end of June and I
809
00:45:38,760 --> 00:45:42,160
want to have, you know, a basket
of all these and which one's
810
00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:46,760
going to be the highest
allocated at that time will kind
811
00:45:46,760 --> 00:45:48,800
of depend on where we wind up in
the cycle.
812
00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:51,960
But, you know, right now, I
think you can make a case for,
813
00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:55,560
you know, putting almost any of
those at the top at any one
814
00:45:55,560 --> 00:46:00,040
point, at any one point in time.
I mean, you know, Ramaco isn't
815
00:46:00,040 --> 00:46:03,120
the isn't the biggest producer,
but they've got all the, you
816
00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:07,640
know, the rare earth marketing
hype is that their gap is.
817
00:46:09,040 --> 00:46:10,760
Is that what?
Is that what lured you in to
818
00:46:10,760 --> 00:46:13,160
start talking about rare earth
as well, Matt, Was it?
819
00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:16,400
Was it Ramaco?
It was, it was pretty clear that
820
00:46:16,520 --> 00:46:21,120
if we want to have any sort of
basis in reality for
821
00:46:21,480 --> 00:46:25,200
understanding what valuations
look like for now, keep in mind
822
00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:28,920
Peabody and, and core natural
resources also have mines in the
823
00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:32,360
PRB that will have, you know,
comparable, you know,
824
00:46:32,360 --> 00:46:38,160
concentrations of, of, you know,
gallium and, and, you know,
825
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:40,920
light rare earths mostly, I
would figure Scandi and those
826
00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:43,840
sorts of things.
And the US government is
827
00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:46,480
currently writing checks at a
pretty alarming clip.
828
00:46:46,880 --> 00:46:50,240
So yeah, that's, that's why I
had to start kind of digging in
829
00:46:50,760 --> 00:46:54,400
and at least becoming familiar
enough with the sector that I
830
00:46:54,400 --> 00:46:58,160
could function a little bit.
And, you know, along the way it
831
00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:04,360
sort of became really clear that
the, I mean, the, the oxide
832
00:47:04,360 --> 00:47:05,760
really isn't the constraint
there.
833
00:47:05,760 --> 00:47:10,640
It's metalization, you know,
it's, you know, SX processing
834
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:13,480
metalization.
So those are the companies that
835
00:47:13,480 --> 00:47:16,280
that I probably want to focus on
more over the longer term
836
00:47:16,840 --> 00:47:19,400
because like we don't have
anybody in the US who knows how
837
00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:21,800
to run any of these operations.
So we're going to have to
838
00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:24,760
rebuild all the expertise we're
going to have to, you know,
839
00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:28,160
import the technology we're
going to have to, you know, near
840
00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:32,240
shore or friendly shore raw
material supply.
841
00:47:32,240 --> 00:47:37,120
Because like, other than MP, you
know, we have, you know, Round
842
00:47:37,120 --> 00:47:42,840
Top is, you know, without a
processing facility located
843
00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:45,280
nearby, like would not be a mine
in and of itself.
844
00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:50,240
You know, So it, it's the way
that I look at this is, there's,
845
00:47:50,240 --> 00:47:53,040
it's the West versus China and
the West is in the process of
846
00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,280
aligning.
And that means, you know,
847
00:47:55,280 --> 00:47:58,160
partnerships between the US and
Australia, partnerships between
848
00:47:58,480 --> 00:48:02,280
the US and Brazil.
It's just, you know, rally the
849
00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:06,320
troops and let's, let's see if
we can, you know, create a, you
850
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:10,800
know, downstream magnet
manufacturing industry that that
851
00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:13,880
lies outside of China for the
first time in, you know, 30
852
00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:15,360
years.
It's it's going to be group
853
00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:19,000
effort, boys.
And do you have a first past
854
00:48:19,000 --> 00:48:21,920
view on the, the stockpile
announcement that that came out
855
00:48:21,920 --> 00:48:24,880
I think over overnight for us
here in, in Australia.
856
00:48:24,880 --> 00:48:29,280
But in a nutshell, Trump wanting
to to put together a $12 billion
857
00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:33,840
U.S. group of any witch meadows.
It wasn't exactly clear.
858
00:48:34,000 --> 00:48:37,160
Pretty pretty light on details.
Yeah.
859
00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:39,960
I mean, I think Samarium
Europium, I think those were
860
00:48:39,960 --> 00:48:43,760
kind of two at the at the top
end of the want spectrum, at
861
00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:47,880
least from what I understand.
But yeah, like that also that
862
00:48:47,880 --> 00:48:51,440
comes on the heel of that
Reuters article last week, which
863
00:48:51,680 --> 00:48:53,480
absolutely rug pulled the whole
sector.
864
00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:56,880
Yeah, it was edited.
Yeah, it was edited like 4 times
865
00:48:56,880 --> 00:48:58,560
to the point where it was like
why?
866
00:48:58,880 --> 00:49:00,040
Why did you even write the that
was?
867
00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:02,840
Such good entertainment.
What like MP materials?
868
00:49:03,160 --> 00:49:05,800
Twitter.
Handle Yeah, shout out to MP
869
00:49:05,800 --> 00:49:09,600
materials, social media.
That was the most fun thing I've
870
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:13,040
read in a long time.
The but it's, you know, it just
871
00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:16,000
absolutely punished most of
those companies for no real
872
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,440
reason.
And then the announcement that
873
00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:20,560
we're going to build these
stockpiles just basically proves
874
00:49:20,560 --> 00:49:21,960
it.
Like there's there's more than
875
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:24,880
one way that that Trump can
implement tariffs.
876
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:27,760
You know, there's more than one
way that we can set floor
877
00:49:27,760 --> 00:49:31,000
prices.
Like there's, you know, I I
878
00:49:31,000 --> 00:49:34,240
understand that it's news.
And like, if you go out and you
879
00:49:34,240 --> 00:49:36,480
have somebody give that quote to
you in your journals, you got to
880
00:49:36,480 --> 00:49:38,080
print it.
Absolutely.
881
00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:40,640
But you should at least do the
product of work to understand
882
00:49:40,640 --> 00:49:43,520
that even if this happens, are
there other avenues to get
883
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:44,720
there?
And that's kind of what I
884
00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:48,800
thought that they failed to do.
Like markets are complex and if
885
00:49:48,800 --> 00:49:52,880
there's demand for something, it
will find a way and it will show
886
00:49:52,880 --> 00:49:55,520
up on it, you know, in price,
whether you wanted to or not.
887
00:49:55,840 --> 00:50:00,640
They're very funny like that.
So anyway, that's that's my take
888
00:50:00,640 --> 00:50:03,520
As to as to how that progresses,
I don't know, but it was it was
889
00:50:03,520 --> 00:50:05,800
a nice bookend to the
shenanigans from last week.
890
00:50:06,480 --> 00:50:08,480
Totally, Totally.
I mean, for all the complexity,
891
00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:12,160
the fact that one Reuters
article can shake the market
892
00:50:12,160 --> 00:50:15,320
like that is, yeah, entertaining
if anything.
893
00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:18,960
All the paper hands over here in
the US good and.
894
00:50:21,360 --> 00:50:23,280
That's not us at all.
Those are rookie numbers.
895
00:50:24,640 --> 00:50:28,640
That's an absolute delight to
speak with you about all things
896
00:50:28,640 --> 00:50:31,120
Cole.
As always, look forward to yeah,
897
00:50:31,120 --> 00:50:33,680
you being accompanied by your
partner Joe next time that
898
00:50:33,720 --> 00:50:36,400
you're you grace us with your
presence on our on our channel.
899
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:39,440
But thank you so much.
Thanks for having me, guys.
900
00:50:39,440 --> 00:50:41,400
It's so wonderful to get to talk
to you every time.
901
00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:44,160
And absolutely, we'll bring a
guest here next time so that I
902
00:50:44,160 --> 00:50:47,280
can wax, so we can wax more
poetic about the thermal coal
903
00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:48,680
side.
Look forward to it.
904
00:50:48,840 --> 00:50:49,800
Have a good one, Matt.
Thank you.
905
00:50:50,320 --> 00:50:52,160
There we go, mate.
What a pleasure as always
906
00:50:52,160 --> 00:50:55,200
speaking with Matt Water, you
can check out his fantastic work
907
00:50:55,240 --> 00:50:59,280
on sub stack at the coal trader
and he's also got the the rare
908
00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:00,960
earth trader.
He puts out a bunch of work
909
00:51:00,960 --> 00:51:02,000
there.
Super insightful.
910
00:51:02,000 --> 00:51:04,520
So go check that out and all
made possible thanks to our
911
00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:07,000
fantastic partners.
Standard ground support focus,
912
00:51:07,000 --> 00:51:08,800
the platform by market tech.
You would have seen some of the
913
00:51:08,800 --> 00:51:12,120
charts in the show there
Interlinks and Exceed Capital
914
00:51:12,480 --> 00:51:16,160
Puduru, Puduru.
Now remember, I'm an idiot.
915
00:51:16,520 --> 00:51:18,920
JD is an idiot.
If you thought any of this was
916
00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:21,440
anything other than
entertainment, you're an idiot
917
00:51:21,800 --> 00:51:22,960
and you need to read out
disclaimer.