Industrial Metals Update Iron ore rally on borrowed time We think the recent rally in the iron ore price will soon go into reverse. Steel demand in China has surged in recent months, but we think that will prove temporary. China’s steelmakers should cut... 14th September 2023 · 3 mins read
Industrial Metals Update China stimulus not a silver bullet for industrial metals The outlook for industrial metals demand has deteriorated alongside the weakening of China’s economy this year, particularly in the property sector. Monetary and fiscal stimulus might paper over the... 16th August 2023 · 3 mins read
Climate Economics Update A fact-finding mission on EV emissions Given the dominance of coal in China’s energy mix, a medium-sized electric vehicle (EV) produced there currently starts life with a “carbon debt” almost twice that of an equivalent internal combustion... 15th August 2023 · 6 mins read
Industrial Metals Update El Niño likely to add to supply woes The widely-differing impact of El Niño across continents means that the net effect on global mining output is not clear cut. On balance, though, the likelihood is that it will lead to lower ore output... 18th July 2023 · 3 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Copper prices to tread water until 2024 Expectations of fiscal stimulus in China have thrown previously floundering copper prices a lifeline. If policymakers go ahead, that may keep a floor under prices before a turnaround in construction... 5th July 2023 · 3 mins read
Climate Economics Update Key questions from our Climate Drop-In We recently held a Drop-in titled “Industry’s decarbonisation challenge – From aviation to property”, which you can view on-demand here. This Update addresses some of the questions we received during... 3rd July 2023 · 7 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Headwinds growing for lead demand We think that the lead price will struggle over the next few months as high interest rates weigh on new vehicle (and lead-acid battery) demand growth and new supply comes online in Australia and... 19th June 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Overview China’s imports firing on all cylinders in May Growth in China’s commodity imports generally was strong in May, with a notable rise in crude oil imports. While the data are consistent with our above-consensus outlook for China’s growth this year... 7th June 2023 · 2 mins read
Metals Demand Monitor Metals Demand Monitor (Feb.) Our in-house metals demand proxies show that growth held steady in February. While growth will accelerate in the coming months due to base effects, we think that underlying demand is more subdued. 18th May 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Update Commodity prices to struggle in the next few months The key message from the latest China PMIs is that whilst China’s economy is likely to grow strongly this quarter, momentum is fading. This will be one factor weighing on commodity prices in the near... 4th May 2023 · 2 mins read
Metals Demand Monitor Metals Demand Monitor (Jan.) Our in-house demand proxies for industrial metals picked up at the start of 2023, which is consistent with China re-opening and resilient macroeconomic data in most advanced economies. What’s more, we... 19th April 2023 · 2 mins read
Industrial Metals Update US steel prices on a tear, but not for long The ongoing rally in the US steel price appears supply-driven and will, most likely, be short-lived. We expect the rally to fizzle out and go into reverse as the US economy slides into recession. 30th March 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Update Commodities and the spillovers from financial markets While commodity prices have also been caught up in the chaos stemming from the banking sector turmoil, so far the impact hasn’t been too alarming as price falls for most commodities haven’t been... 17th March 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update First thoughts on banking stress and commodity prices Commodity prices have tumbled as concern about a banking crisis has grown. The downside risks to our forecasts, which we recently attributed to higher interest rates, now include banking sector stress... 16th March 2023 · 2 mins read
Metals Demand Monitor Metals Demand Monitor (Dec.) Demand growth for industrial metals slowed to a halt at the end of last year. Even with some more recent improvements in advanced economy activity growth, metals demand probably kicked off the year on... 9th March 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Update Unpacking China’s NPC for commodities The National People’s Congress reports struck a cautious note on the outlook for economic activity in China this year. Fiscal stimulus will be limited and efforts to prevent “disorderly” expansion in... 8th March 2023 · 4 mins read
