Commodities Update Plenty of upside for gold despite likely Fed tightening Gold remains out of favour with Western investors and commentators focused on the prospect of tighter US monetary policy and further dollar strength. But we see scope for a decent recovery in the... 24th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Tin prices to soldier on, and up Tin prices have underperformed this year amid relatively subdued demand. However, slower growth in supply and solid demand should set the scene for price rises in 2015. 21st November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update El Niño starting to warm up again The likelihood of an El Niño weather event this year has increased again. With ample sugar and wheatsupplies, any disruption to the upcoming harvests in the Asia-Pacific region is unlikely to lead... 20th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update PMIs point to subdued commodity demand Falls in the flash PMIs for China and the euro-zone do not bode well for commodity prices. Activity indicators were weak in both regions, suggesting downward pressure on the prices of industrial... 20th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Keystone XL delayed again, but likely to be approved next year Despite rejection yesterday, the Keystone export limited (XL) pipeline is likely to be approved early next year when the Republicans take control of the Senate. Eventually this should add to the... 19th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Will ECB or SNB purchases boost the gold price? Hopes that the European Central Bank (ECB) will include gold on the list of assets to be purchased as part of a programme of full-blown quantitative easing (QE) will almost certainly be disappointed... 19th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Copper mine supply likely to disappoint On paper, copper mine supply should surge next year. But the copper mining industry has a long history of supply disruptions and we see no reason why these will not continue. This is one factor... 14th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update How could the second China – Russia gas deal impact prices? Additional proposed gas exports from Russia to China are unlikely to have a major impact on European gas prices. We see a greater threat arising from the potential long-term price impact of Europe’s... 13th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Brent heading for $70 The dip in the price of Brent below $80 per barrel in the last 24 hours is consistent with our long-held view that the world will soon be awash with oil. Indeed, global oil prices look set to hit $70... 13th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update How might the US midterm results affect US energy policy? The shift in the US political spectrum towards the Republicans could result in the restrictions on US oil exports being eased sooner than otherwise. However, the Republicans are likely to put most of... 11th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Lower production estimates won’t stop grain prices falling Global corn, wheat and soybeans remain on course for record harvests this year. Combined with high stocks, lower energy costs and a stronger US dollar, we continue to expect crop prices to fall... 11th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Some brighter signs in China’s trade data There were signs of a pick-up in copper imports in China’s October trade data, while iron ore and crude oil imports were still up strongly in year-on-year terms. However, exports of some refined raw... 10th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update New subsidy to slow cotton market adjustment in China A new subsidy programme for Chinese cotton producers outside of Xinjiang province is unlikely to have a major impact on the market and we still expect the global price of cotton to fall. Nevertheless... 10th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update What are China’s copper demand indicators saying? Concerns about demand, notably from China, have been one of the key factors cited by commentators to justify recent copper price falls. However, not all indicators of demand are flashing red. As such... 7th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Demand for US corn to remain weak despite falling prices Although the price of US corn has fallen to levels last seen in early 2010, lower livestock numbers, limits on ethanol demand and lower international corn trade will prevent a large pick-up in demand. 5th November 2014 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Risk of spikes in US natural gas prices still high The recent unseasonably warm weather has given US natural gas companies additional time to boost stocks before heating demand picks up. However, the amount of gas in storage is still significantly... 5th November 2014 · 1 min read
