A critical metal that impacts the clean energy transition is Neodymium.    It is one of the 17 Rare Earth Elements (REE's) which includes Yttrium plus the 8 Light REE's and the 8 Heavy REE's. Sc, or Scandium is another critical metal, especially to aluminum-alloy (light-weighting efforts) and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, but not formally considered an REE.

Well for those who use Nd (Neodymium) in the form of NdFeB (Neodymium-Iron-Born) magnets, you have become frightful of the sudden REE and Nd price climbs in the past 20-months.

Both 2020 and 2021 had a very eventful year for PGM Minor Metals.  Rhodium, Iridium, and Ruthenium all enjoyed volatile price movement.  This post will try to explain why?

First the Precious Metals Basket prices indexed off of January 1, 2021 are plotted below