Commodities Watch The shifting nature of US-Saudi oil relations There has been much commentary in recent months on the balance of power in relations between the US and Saudi Arabia. Many of the areas of mutual interest are geopolitical in nature and we are not... 21st February 2019 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Baltic Dry Index: It’s all about coal The Baltic Dry Index (BDI, a measure of shipping costs for the world’s dry bulk commodities) is often cited as a bellwether of economic growth. As such, the recent slump should be cause for concern... 22nd November 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Sweeter times ahead for sugar The price of sugar has dropped sharply in response to a supply glut, making it one of the worst performing commodities so far this year. In this Commodities Watch, we outline some recent trends in the... 28th September 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Slower growth in China to constrain demand As a major consumer of commodities, any slowdown in China’s economy has negative implications for global commodities demand and prices. That said, the impact is actually likely to be quite nuanced... 10th August 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch How will China’s tariffs affect commodity markets? In the last week, there has been a renewed escalation in trade tensions between the US and China. The US has announced that it is pressing ahead with tariffs and China has responded in kind. In... 20th June 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Does the oil price determine other commodity prices? The price of oil has soared since mid-February. In this Commodities Watch, we will discuss whether the rise in oil prices has positive implications for the prices of other commodities. 24th May 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Three key risks to commodity prices In this Commodities Watch, we take stock of three of the most serious geopolitical risks that have emerged over the past few months. These are the prospect of a trade war between the US and China, US... 30th April 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Taking stock of the first quarter In this Commodities Watch, we review developments in the first quarter of this year and draw conclusions about what they mean for our price forecasts. 29th March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Rice prices to come off the boil In this Commodities Watch, we will analyse supply and demand in the global rice market and explain why we think the price of Thai rice will struggle to hold on to its recent gains. 20th March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Are biofuels doomed? Biofuels have become an important source of demand for many agriculturals over the past decade. In this Commodities Watch, we argue that concerns about the environment and the diversion of food... 2nd February 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Are macro-economic factors positive for agriculturals? The weather is arguably the main determinant of agricultural commodity prices. However, there are other factors that influence prices, including the oil price, the US dollar, global growth prospects... 12th December 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Is sentiment towards grains and soybeans too bearish? The November crop estimates from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) painted quite a bearish picture for grains and soybean prices. In this Commodities Watch, we discuss the latest changes to the... 23rd November 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch High stocks remain a problem for cotton After a strong start to the year, the price of cotton has drifted lower since. In this Commodities Watch, we will discuss the main drivers of the cotton market and how they will affect prices in 2018... 8th November 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Agriculturals: more of the same in 2018? For the most part, 2017 will be a year to forget for agricultural commodities as abundant supply weighed on prices. In this Commodities Watch, we will take stock of the latest developments in... 12th October 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Bittersweet year for sugar The price of sugar has plummeted by 33% since the start of the year on expectations of a global surplus in the 2017/18 season (October-September). In this Commodities Watch, we discuss recent trends... 17th August 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Second half of the year bodes well for coffee Last month, the spread between arabica and robusta coffee prices fell to its lowest level in over ten years. Elsewhere, France recently announced that it will curb the use of palm oil in biofuels... 25th July 2017 · 1 min read