Anybody know anything about how to invest in rare earth metals?

[Viviana]

They’re used in things like cell phones, semiconductors, lasers, fiber-optic cable, plasma TVs, hybrid cars, microwave ovens, and scud missiles.

They — and just about anything electronic — contain some of the most obscure chemical elements on the planet known as rare earth metals.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has identified 17 elements that are considered rare earth metals. Most of the world’s advanced defense, medical, and high-tech electronics simply won’t work without rare earth metals. These metals have very special physical and chemical attributes, including high degrees of magnetism, luminosity, superconductivity and environmental non-toxicity.

These obscure metals are so critical to our modern world that they are as strategically important as oil, copper, uranium, natural gas, and coal. An investment in rare earth metals may be even more lucrative.

Some examples:
Cerium- used in catalytic converters
Dysprosium- used in lasers, compact disks, fuel injectors
Erbium- used to produce photographic filters, sunglasses, fiber optical amplifiers
Holmium- has greatest magnetic strength of any element, used in medical/dental field and nuclear conrol rods
Neodymium- used in magnets to increase their magnetic field, used in cell phones, speakers, and miniature motors
Yttrium- primarily used in red LED's and superconductors.

Lately I have been researching investing in rare earth minerals, or rare earth elements. There's Avalon Mining Co. in Canada, and Lynas in Australia, and a major Fortune 500 equivelant company in China that currently has (or its rumored to have) 95% of the world market share of this particular type of commodity.

The U.S. military needs it because its again, in virtually everything they use. The un-manned drones, night vision goggles, guided missles, etc. Last year there was even a foreign affairs subcommmittee that met to address the issue of exactly where the U.S. is going to be buying more of the stuff in the future.

So I have concluded from my research that there is definite demand, and that will only increase.

As far as processing goes, its really, really nasty to the environment. China already has several processing plants on it own soil, and I've seen several utube videos that shows what it does to the region. Its ugly. So even if the U.S. continues to buy the stuff we could never ever cut out the middle man and process it ourselves. The Environmental Protecton Agency would never allow it.

I'm still trying to get a handle on the supply & distrubution angle and how the costs to extract the minerals from the earth are calculated.

This appears to be a rather obscure topic on the internet. I've been looking at some trade publications that focus on the mining industry, but its slow going. Not to mention a very dry read. (Such as this thread I've started)

Anyone out there have experience with this sort of investing?

[nakedguydb]

just move to panama and buy some farm land , so when the SHTF up there you can at least grow food , it will be worth more than any rare earth metals than you own . and it so nice down here , start packin LOL

[hardassetinvestor]

They’re used in things like cell phones, semiconductors, lasers, fiber-optic cable, plasma TVs, hybrid cars, microwave ovens, and scud missiles.

They — and just about anything electronic — contain some of the most obscure chemical elements on the planet known as rare earth metals.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has identified 17 elements that are considered rare earth metals. Most of the world’s advanced defense, medical, and high-tech electronics simply won’t work without rare earth metals. These metals have very special physical and chemical attributes, including high degrees of magnetism, luminosity, superconductivity and environmental non-toxicity.

These obscure metals are so critical to our modern world that they are as strategically important as oil, copper, uranium, natural gas, and coal. An investment in rare earth metals may be even more lucrative.

Some examples:
Cerium- used in catalytic converters
Dysprosium- used in lasers, compact disks, fuel injectors
Erbium- used to produce photographic filters, sunglasses, fiber optical amplifiers
Holmium- has greatest magnetic strength of any element, used in medical/dental field and nuclear conrol rods
Neodymium- used in magnets to increase their magnetic field, used in cell phones, speakers, and miniature motors
Yttrium- primarily used in red LED's and superconductors.

Lately I have been researching investing in rare earth minerals, or rare earth elements. There's Avalon Mining Co. in Canada, and Lynas in Australia, and a major Fortune 500 equivelant company in China that currently has (or its rumored to have) 95% of the world market share of this particular type of commodity.

The U.S. military needs it because its again, in virtually everything they use. The un-manned drones, night vision goggles, guided missles, etc. Last year there was even a foreign affairs subcommmittee that met to address the issue of exactly where the U.S. is going to be buying more of the stuff in the future.

So I have concluded from my research that there is definite demand, and that will only increase.

As far as processing goes, its really, really nasty to the environment. China already has several processing plants on it own soil, and I've seen several utube videos that shows what it does to the region. Its ugly. So even if the U.S. continues to buy the stuff we could never ever cut out the middle man and process it ourselves. The Environmental Protecton Agency would never allow it.

I'm still trying to get a handle on the supply & distrubution angle and how the costs to extract the minerals from the earth are calculated.

This appears to be a rather obscure topic on the internet. I've been looking at some trade publications that focus on the mining industry, but its slow going. Not to mention a very dry read. (Such as this thread I've started)

Anyone out there have experience with this sort of investing?

go to swissmetalasset.com seem to be reputable. high premium however going in. Long term rare earth metals will go much higher. Short term not sure. Other ways to play it include rare earth equities like qrm, avl, mcp. More speculative however.

[EdBowers]

You should ask them for copies of the insurances they claim to have.

go to swissmetalasset.com seem to be reputable.

[JustinG]

This appears to be a rather obscure topic on the internet.

It's talked about often on CNBC. Yet haven't found a place yet offering it on cable here. This was on BBC yesterday BBC News - Japan finds rare earths in Pacific seabed

[expat747]

You can invest in REMX - "Market Vectors Rare Earths ETF will be listed on the NYSE as REMX and will carry a management expense ratio of 0.57%. It will track the Market Vectors Rare Earths/Strategic Metals index, currently composed of 24 companies"

Top 10 Holdings (not all listed on US tradable exchanges):
Lynas Corp Ltd (LYC)
Il uka Resources Ltd (ILU)
Titanium Metals Corp (TIE)
Thomp son Creek Metals Co Inc (TC)
OSAKA Titanium Technologies Co
RTI International Metals Inc (RTI)
Toho Titanium Co Ltd
China Molybdenum Co Ltd
Kenmare Resources PLC
Molycorp Inc (MCP)

[Viviana]

This appears to be a rather obscure topic on the internet.

It's talked about often on CNBC. Yet haven't found a place yet offering it on cable here. This was on BBC yesterday BBC News - Japan finds rare earths in Pacific seabed

There was an incident that occurred last October that was in the news regarding a little "spat" between the Chinese and Japanese; had something to do with somebody's boat "poaching" the minerals from somebody's backyard, so to speak.