The best investment on Earth this year, metal antimony, may be able to compete for a place.
According to S&P Global data, antimony prices doubled in July this year and reached a historical record of $22750 per ton on August 6th. And this upward trend continued to soar in the second half of the year. As of November 15th, its price has reached $25000 per ton, with a year-on-year increase of 212%.
This posture can be described as stepping on Bitcoin and punching gold and silver. The key to the soaring price of antimony is that this metal is generally used in the military field and belongs to a key strategic metal. During World War II, it was used to produce flame-retardant military uniforms and tents, and was also widely used to manufacture bullets, night vision goggles, nuclear weapons, and anti tank missiles.
What makes it even more rare is that China controls nearly half of the world's antimony production and three-quarters of its smelting volume. In August of this year, China announced restrictions on its exports of antimony, which immediately put the international market in a tight supply situation.
Industry insiders analyze that, given the current geopolitical risks, the price of antimony will continue to soar in 2025, which may force end-users to seek alternatives for certain products.
Price frenzy
Miners in the market are competing for antimony mining, and Australian company Felix Gold quickly formulated a plan within two days to build a mine with an annual output of 5000 tons of antimony by the end of 2025. Larvotto, which owns Australia's largest antimony mine, adheres to the principle that time is money and has begun developing its Hillgrove gold antimony project.
But analysts are still claiming that antimony has strong upward momentum, stating that it will be the latest industry to achieve investment profits exceeding 100% in the short term.
Especially the anxiety and unease in Europe have amplified the price increase of this metal. European refiners are currently seeking metal alternatives from China through Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Myanmar, while the United States is looking to India. For this reason, these European and American companies have had to invest large amounts of money and resources.
In March, the European Union allocated 500 million euros to support the ammunition production bill, with the goal of increasing production capacity to 2 million shells per year by the end of 2025. The US government is providing a $1.86 billion loan to mining company Perpetua to put their antimony mines into production by 2029.
Among them, the mining company Military Metals has become a new guest of honor in the European and American political circles through some strategic acquisitions. The company is aggressively acquiring antimony mines, with a presence in Slovakia, Canada, and the United States. Its latest announcement is that it has purchased one of the largest antimony deposits in Europe in Slovakia, worth approximately $2 billion.
Investors are still waiting for the emergence of a new myth. Previously, Larvotto's stock price surged 800% within six months, prompting the Australian exchange to shout "antimony party" has begun.
Some people argue that antimony has been reversed. Some speculators believe that instead of investing this metal in the military field, it is better to keep it in hand and continue to push up prices. But in the view of analyst Christopher Ecclestone, this mentality will undoubtedly further create pressure on the military forces of Europe and the United States.