Molybdenum, the Sasquatch Metal

by Johnny Debacle

Molybdenum has been making the rounds as an alleged additive for making steel alloys and as a catalyst in the production of certain petrochemical products. As a metal with consumable uses, limited substitutes and a limited supply, it tends to have inelastic demand….allegedly.

I allege that much like the sasquatch, molybdenum does not, in fact, even exist.

Points Which Point to the Non-Existence of Molybdenum:

  • Has anyone ever touched molybdenum? Or seen it? I’ve seen or touched platinum, silver, gold and most metals, except uranium which I am willing to take on faith. I’ve never met anyone who had a molybdenum cufflink or a a ring with a molybdenum setting.
  • Molyjhkldjaslkdjaslkd. Not a name you would give to a real substance, much less a metal. It seems like an inside joke about Molly B’s Denim. Who is this Molly B? And where are her denim dungarees?
  • The price has gone up from $2 per pound up to over $40 in just a few years (currently in the mid-20’s). It is clear as to why the market hasn’t corrected itself — it is difficult to bring on formerly uneconomic molybdenum mines or copper mining trailing operations (where molybdenum can allegedly be found) when molybdenum does not actually exist.

The Sasquatch of MetalsThe Molybdenum of Creatures

Recommendation: Per Mr. Juggles Investing Commandment 5b you must verify that that which you think exists in an investment, actually exists. The non-existence of molybdenum could prove a crushing blow to stocks of firms who allegedly mine the possibly fictional metal.



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Comments

  1. jc
    October 5th, 2006 | 1:46 pm

    any cross-ref to amaranth?

  2. Mr Juggles
    October 9th, 2006 | 9:05 am

    No? Amaranth invested in highly leveraged real commodity markets; to my knowledge they abstained from investing in fictional commodities.

  3. November 9th, 2006 | 3:57 pm

    It exists, at least I think it does. I paid about $104 USD for 50 grams of Molybdenum Hexacarbonyl from SIAL four years ago. Today 50g costs $122.50.

    I could have done better using an investment grade ABS strategy.

  4. Jarrod
    November 20th, 2006 | 8:19 pm

    Molybdenum is used in x-ray tubes. But i suppose those don’t “exist”. Sheesh. How do you suppose they make some aircraft parts…look it up on Wikipedia.

  5. Metal I Bankerq
    December 1st, 2006 | 11:30 pm

    Just an FYI. I work for an IB firm recently retained to provide a valuation for a Moly r&d operation. This metal exists. The supply is higly limted and beyon medical there are several applications to LCD and Plasma flatscreens, I would say demand exists. Long.

  6. C Dan
    December 21st, 2006 | 1:52 pm

    The google ads at the top of the post will take you to any number of website that will actually sell you Molybdenum and molybdenum-based products – i like irony in small doses

  7. December 21st, 2006 | 3:02 pm

    I think you mean will “allegedly sell” molybdenum. Alleged.

  8. funny
    May 31st, 2007 | 11:39 pm

    @jarrod:

    uhhhh….the dude was joking.

  9. PauPer
    May 29th, 2008 | 10:02 pm

    GMO paid for 3 weeks in Eastern Europe last year. Some of the chicks were sasquatch! I didnt touch them but I bought a kilo of moly on ebay just to touch that.