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HardAssetsInvestor

D’Agostino: Gold Physical Sales Still Up 50%; Gold ETFs Shake Out Leveraged Speculators

Peter Schiff: Gold Fools Shouldn’t Be Selling

Gold ETF ‘GLD’ Sees Its Biggest & First Inflow In 2 Months

Week In Review: Gold Pullback Toward $1,322 Begins, NatGas Tests First Layer Of Support, Oil Falls, Copper Rises

Gold’s Large Market Size & Liquidity Keep It Less Volatile Than Silver, But Maybe Not For Long

***Top stories from the last 15 days

STRATEGIC/RARE EARTH METALS

September 08, 2009

Fluorspar: The Cool Mineral

Details: Published on Tuesday, 08 September 2009 08:30; Written by Tom Vulcan

Once a popular jewelry mineral, fluorspar is now used in several crucial industrial applications. So how can you play this cool mineral?

The many faces of fluorspar
The China (and Mexico) supply situation
How to play fluorspar now

Larry Reaugh: The Three M’s Of Specialty Metals

Details: Published on Friday, 21 August 2009 04:29; Written by Lara Crigger

The CEO of Reaugh Group shares his views on the specialty metals market.

China as ‘the big snowball’
Manganese as the next molybdenum
How to play the Three M’s

July 28, 2009

Manganese: An Unsung Hero

Details: Published on Tuesday, 28 July 2009 07:30; Written by Tom Vulcan

In the latest installment in our series on minor metals, Hard Assets Investor digs into this critical steelmaking ingredient.

Manganese in steel production
Who are the major players?
How can you invest?

June 23, 2009

Tellurium And Garlic

Details: Published on Tuesday, 23 June 2009 08:43; Written by Tom Vulcan

In the latest installment of our minor-metals series, we dig into No. 52.

The electronics connection
A coming demand crunch
Investor opportunities

May 26, 2009

Veni, Vidi, Vanadium: The Key To Steel

Details: Published on Tuesday, 26 May 2009 04:19; Written by Tom Vulcan

An alloy used in the Model T faces increasing demand from a China-driven market.

What is vanadium?
Where does it come from?
How can you invest?

May 14, 2009

Mark Smith: Why Rare Earth Metals Matter

Details: Published on Thursday, 14 May 2009 17:00; Written by Tom Vulcan

Tom Vulcan, rare earth metals reporter for HardAssetsInvestor.com, spoke with Mark Smith, CEO of Molycorp Minerals LLC - the only rare earth ore mining company in America.

The need for a strategic rare earth reserve
Why China owns the rare earth market
How investors can benefit
Read more...

April 15, 2009

Clean Energy: The Materials Play

Details: Published on Wednesday, 15 April 2009 07:00; Written by Tom Vulcan

The most profitable way to play the clean energy boom may be to invest, not in clean energy producers, but in the rare and unusual materials they need to operate.

The picks-and-shovels approach to clean energy
From silicon to rare earth metals
Compact fluorescents: A big opportunity?

March 26, 2009

Germanium: Winkler’s Metal

Details: Published on Thursday, 26 March 2009 02:01; Written by Tom Vulcan

Discovered in the 19th century, germanium is a critical metal both in military and civilian applications. But can you invest in it?

The key to infrared optics and drone aircraft
Powering satellites in space
Potential new applications and growth?

March 02, 2009

Bismuth: A Help In Many Ways

Details: Published on Monday, 02 March 2009 07:12; Written by Tom Vulcan

A look at the history, uses and potential investment opportunities in this heavy metal.

The "Green" metal
Increasingly a lead substitute
Biological agent?

February 18, 2009

Antimony: A Metal?

Details: Published on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 03:22; Written by Tom Vulcan

Investors have been making and losing fortunes in antimony for a century. What's the outlook now?

What is antimony, anyway?
China, U.S. and other sources
What companies have exposure

January 30, 2009

Gallium: A Slippery Metal

Details: Published on Friday, 30 January 2009 04:03; Written by Tom Vulcan

It may be hard to access, but this little-known metal plays a key role in defense, technology and solar arrays.

CIGS vs. silicon
Tapping into the recyclers
The outlook for prices

January 13, 2009

Tantalum: A Modern Metal, Actually

Details: Published on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 03:36; Written by Tom Vulcan

Continuing our minor metals series, HardAssetsInvestor.com investigates a
critical metal for the electronics industry.

Why has the largest producer dropped
out of the business?
The rise of 'blood tantalum'
Where will prices go over the next five years?

December 16, 2008

Tungsten: Heavy Metal (Including Cello)

Details: Published on Tuesday, 16 December 2008 05:24; Written by Tom Vulcan

The once-rosy future of one of Earth's heaviest metals is now uncertain, given the current economic climate.

General uses
Supply and demand
Investing opportunities?

December 01, 2008

Beryllium: Bombs And More (Much More)

Details: Published on Monday, 01 December 2008 06:33; Written by Tom Vulcan

HAI's enterprising rare metals reporter takes aim at beryllium, and finds a pure-play company that could be of interest.

From bombs to power plants
Enter the International Beryllium Corp.
What will the stockpile do?

November 18, 2008

The Battle Of The Batteries

Details: Published on Tuesday, 18 November 2008 11:22; Written by Tom Vulcan

The smart way to play the boom in electric and hybrid cars is not to buy the battery makers, it's to buy what goes into the batteries in the first place.