Thermal-coal prices may be running out of steam as Asian power producers wind down purchases after a period of prewinter stockpiling and an underlying supply glut reasserts itself. Prices of the power-generation fuel have rallied to multimonth highs in China and Australia, two countries that dominate coal supply-demand fundamentals, mirroring moves seen with iron ore. China’s continued economic strength has underpinned Australian coal, whose price has climbed to its highest level in more than five months. Chinese coal has also been on streak, rising for nine successive weeks and gaining 15% since early October. China’s economic growth rate of 7.8% in the July-September quarter may slow due to tightening credit, with some economists tipping it to move toward 7% in 2014, damping industry demand for electricity and the coal used to make it. Prices at Newcastle port on Australia’s east coast, the world’s largest coal export facility, have stabilized […]