Key Facts
- Nexa Resources, the zinc miner with mines in Brazil and Peru, fell 1.71% to US$12.10 on Wednesday 21 October.
- Buenaventura, Peru’s precious- and base-metals miner, gained 0.66% to US$30.44.
- Nexa has fallen two days in a row, after a 2.69% drop on Tuesday.
- We could not confirm a zinc price for the day, so this wrap reports the two miners and leaves the metal price out.
- Zinc is used mostly to galvanise steel, so it follows construction and manufacturing.
Today’s Focus
Latin American zinc miners moved in opposite directions on Wednesday 21 October. Nexa Resources fell 1.71% to US$12.10, while Buenaventura rose 0.66% to US$30.44.
We could not confirm a zinc price for the day, so we do not quote one. Nexa runs zinc mines and smelters in Brazil and Peru.
Our economic calendar listed no top-tier China release on the day.
What matters today. Zinc miners split, and the price of the metal itself is unconfirmed.
01 The session in one read
Nexa Resources fell 1.71% to US$12.10, after a 2.69% fall on Tuesday. Buenaventura rose 0.66% to US$30.44.
The two companies are not pure zinc plays: Buenaventura also mines silver and gold, which can blunt zinc-specific moves.
Nexa is the purer zinc exposure, and it fell. Buenaventura has precious-metals exposure and rose. We could not verify a zinc price, so we cannot say whether the metal moved. The variable to watch is a confirmed zinc settlement from the London Metal Exchange.
02 The board
Nexa Resources, which runs mines and smelters in Brazil and Peru, closed at US$12.10, down 1.71%.
Buenaventura, the Peruvian miner, ended at US$30.44, up 0.66%.
| Asset | Level | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Nexa Resources | US$12.10 | -1.71% |
| Buenaventura | US$30.44 | +0.66% |
Source: RT close, 2026-10-21. Where a commodity has no spot feed, an exchange-traded tracker or leading producer is shown as a labelled proxy.
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Latin America — Cross-Market Board
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IBOV | 176,608.23 | -13.88% | +20.17% | 205,082.56 | — | — | — |
| IPSA | 10,575.59 | -1.59% | — | 10,746.36 | 10,642 | 10,457 | — |
| IPC MEX | 69,470.99 | -0.58% | +12.30% | 69,879.62 | — | — | — |
| MERVAL | 2,848,945 | — | +12.65% | 2,859,051 | — | — | — |
| COLCAP | 2,505.04 | -1.38% | — | — | — | — | — |
| USD/BRL | 5.41 | -0.12% | +0.38% | 5.42 | 5.42 | 5.37 | — |
| EUR/BRL | 6.03 | +8.96% | -3.61% | 5.54 | 6.04 | 6.00 | — |
| USD/MXN | 18.59 | +0.12% | +0.94% | 18.57 | 18.62 | 18.54 | — |
| USD/CLP | 989.07 | -0.01% | +6.24% | 989.13 | 991.87 | 988.50 | — |
| USD/COP | 3,147 | +3.00% | -18.00% | 3,056 | 3,147 | 3,132 | — |
| USD/PEN | 3.44 | -0.11% | +3.55% | 3.44 | 3.45 | 3.44 | — |
| USD/ARS | 1,541 | -0.02% | +4.04% | 1,541 | 1,541 | 1,541 | — |
| USD/UYU | 40.08 | +3.22% | +1.94% | 38.83 | 40.08 | 40.08 | — |
| USD/PYG | 5,735 | +2.55% | -17.53% | 5,592 | 5,735 | 5,735 | — |
| USD/BOB | 11.82 | +3.62% | +75.69% | 11.41 | 11.82 | 11.82 | — |
| USD/DOP | 61.14 | +2.83% | -3.39% | 59.45 | 61.14 | 60.35 | — |
| USD/CRC | 450.04 | +1.86% | -8.05% | 441.83 | 450.04 | 450.04 | — |
| USD/GTQ | 7.64 | +3.18% | +2.13% | 7.40 | 7.64 | 7.64 | — |
03 What moved it
We could not confirm a trigger. No zinc price, warehouse-stock or Chinese demand figure for 21 October is verified in our data.
US stocks rose, with the S&P 500 up 0.58%, so Nexa’s fall went against Wall Street.
04 The Latin American read
Peru, Mexico and Bolivia all mine zinc, so the metal matters for mining revenue across the region.
For listed miners, zinc is a margin story: Nexa’s Brazilian and Peruvian operations give it direct exposure to zinc prices.
05 The names to watch
Nexa is the purest zinc play among Latin American miners. Buenaventura gives broader Peruvian mining exposure, where zinc sits alongside silver and gold.
Both react to demand for galvanised steel, which depends on construction and manufacturing.
06 The outlook
A third daily fall for Nexa would raise the question of whether the market sees weaker zinc demand. A confirmed zinc price would help separate metal moves from company moves.
07 What to watch
- Nexa: Whether the two-day fall extends to Thursday.
- A zinc settlement price: We could not verify one today.
- Buenaventura: Gold and silver prices also drive this stock.
- Chinese construction data: Weak building activity weighs on galvanised-steel demand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Nexa fall on 21 October?
Nexa fell 1.71% to US$12.10. We could not confirm a single trigger.
Do you report a zinc price?
Not today: we could not verify a zinc price for 21 October, so we report the miners’ shares.
Which Latin American countries are major zinc producers?
Peru, Mexico and Bolivia all mine zinc, making the metal important for mining revenue there.
Is Buenaventura a zinc stock?
Partly. It also mines silver and gold, so its shares do not follow zinc alone.
Market data: RT
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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