Bradley Saunders

Bradley Saunders joined Capital Economics in September 2022 as an Assistant Economist on the graduate training scheme. He writes primarily for the FX service, but also contributes towards our Global Markets and Capital Daily services. Prior to this, Bradley worked with the Commodities team, covering energy, metals, and agriculturals markets. He holds a degree in Economics from the University of Bath.

Capital Daily

Falls in yields and equities may have further to run

Despite a better day for financial markets yesterday, confidence among investors still seems fragile. Although we do not expect markets to remain quite so choppy, we think some of the key trends of...

17th March 2023 7 mins read

Global Markets Update

Banking stress raises another dilemma for central banks

We are resending this Stress Monitor to include clients of our Global Economics Service. The ghosts of 2008 have made a sudden reappearance. Many metrics of core market functioning have worsened...

16th March 2023 9 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

Commodity markets look to the US and China

It was another fairly quiet week in commodity markets, with prices caught between diverging narratives. Rather perversely, robust economic data in advanced economies weighed on commodity prices. This...

3rd March 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Economics Chart Book

Mounting downside risks to our price forecasts

We think prices will drop a little further in the coming months as economic slowdowns in advanced economies weigh on commodities demand, even as China’s economic recovery takes hold. However, the...

2nd March 2023 13 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

Commodity markets still in flux one year into the war

It has been a tumultuous year since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Energy markets are still in a state of flux, though they have calmed significantly. (The prices of European gas and Brent crude have...

24th February 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Focus

Population trends to lower wheat demand from 2040s

We expect the wheat price to remain high this year as events in Ukraine and drought in other key producers hurt supply. Although the wheat price should drop back after this, the worsening impacts of...

22nd February 2023 14 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

US inflation a downside risk to our price forecasts

Most commodity prices fell this week due to concerns about the persistence of high inflation in the US. Data showed US CPI inflation coming in slightly stronger than expected in January, pushing up...

17th February 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

All eyes on US data next week

It was a fairly quiet week in commodities markets, although oil prices rose on concerns about earthquake-related disruption to exports from the Turkish port of Ceyhan and Russia’s announcement of a 0...

10th February 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Economics Chart Book

Too soon for a sustainable rally

We think prices will ease back in the coming months as optimism about China’s reopening is tempered and slower economic activity in advanced economies weighs on demand. However, the prospect of Fed...

3rd February 2023 13 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

Russian petroleum product exports to struggle

The EU’s ban on imports of Russian petroleum products will come into force on Sunday, which could raise EU fuel prices and weigh on Russia’s product exports. However, we suspect Russia will offer...

3rd February 2023 6 mins read

Energy Data Response

US Weekly Petroleum Status Report

Commercial crude stocks continued to climb last week as refinery activity remained in the doldrums and net imports rose. We believe that a recovery in refinery activity and higher demand for crude oil...

1st February 2023 3 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

Commodity prices poised to take a breather

After rising sharply for much of this year, the Lunar New Year holiday in China meant that commodity prices generally took a bit of a pause this week. The only exceptions were natural gas prices...

27th January 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

Spotlight shifts to developed economies

The end of China’s zero-COVID policy continued to support most commodity prices this week, with many industrial metals prices extending their recent rallies. Economic activity appears to be recovering...

20th January 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Update

Lula unlikely to herald new era for biofuels

The election of left-wing candidate Lula for a third term as Brazil’s president is unlikely to accelerate Petrobras’ sluggish shift towards large scale biofuel production. We expect proposed oil...

18th January 2023 4 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

China reopening to boost commodity prices

The dismantling of China’s zero-COVID policy has come quicker than we and many had expected. Whereas we previously thought the first quarter would bring the worst of the economic disruption from...

13th January 2023 6 mins read

Commodities Weekly Wrap

New year, same trends

Most commodity prices declined this week, with energy prices falling especially sharply. Unseasonably mild weather in Europe and the US weighed on heating demand, prompting a plunge in gas prices. The...

6th January 2023 6 mins read