Commodities Update What's behind the narrowing in the Brent-WTI spread? The collapse in the differential between the prices of Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) primarily reflects the prospect of a further easing of the logistical constraints that have been... 4th July 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Is $100 oil here to stay? The relative resilience of oil prices in the face of worries about US monetary policy and the health of China’s economy suggest that $100 will act as a floor for the price of a barrel of Brent for a... 3rd July 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update A new front in the war on coal? US President Obama’s speech on climate change policy yesterday contained little new. Nonetheless, it highlights the downward pressures on coal prices already coming from environmental policy... 26th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China slowdown and policy outlooks to keep prices weak Poor Chinese manufacturing data and the prospect that US monetary policy may soon be less supportive have more than offset signs that the recession in the euro-zone is easing. Of these developments... 20th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Rice price to continue to fall as Thailand reduces support We expect the reduction in the floor price the Thai government will pay rice farmers to increase private exports and sales from government stocks, putting further downward pressure on prices. 19th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update What’s really happening to China’s copper demand? Traditional methods of calculating copper demand have been suggesting that Chinese consumption is actually falling. However, these estimates of “apparent consumption” are distorted by changes in... 17th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Are oil prices set to take off due to Syria risks? Fears that Western intervention in Syria could increase the risks of a broader Middle East conflict have already put some upward pressure on the price of Brent crude. However, even if tensions do... 17th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update How vulnerable are commodities to the tapering of QE3? The prospect of a reduction in US monetary stimulus has already begun to undermine the prices of many risky assets, from developed market equities to emerging market currencies. However, this prospect... 11th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China's underlying demand still weak The jump in China’s imports of major commodities on a month on month basis in May was probably flattered by the easing of earlier port delays. Other incoming economic data suggest that demand remains... 10th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Correction in lumber prices should prove temporary US lumber prices have fallen sharply over the last couple of months after what, with hindsight, looks like an earlier overshoot. Nonetheless, we expect prices to climb again over the rest of the year. 6th June 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Aluminium prices range-bound by supply We think that the price of aluminium is unlikely to be able to sustain moves much outside the range of $1,800 to $2,100 per tonne over the next year or two, due to the potential supply responses in... 31st May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update How much does OPEC matter? The twice-yearly OPEC meeting in Vienna tomorrow is likely to confirm the official production target of 30m barrels per day. But the bigger picture is that the cartel now ranks no higher than a... 30th May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Rise in soybean prices unlikely to be sustained The recent strength in US soybean prices has been driven by fears of tight supplies as congestion at Brazilian ports delays exports. However, as the logistical problems ease and planting of the new... 28th May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Weak manufacturing data underline downside risks The sub-50 reading for China’s flash manufacturing PMI today shows the fragility of the underlying demand for industrial commodities, including copper and oil, as the economic slowdown there deepens... 23rd May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Rising mine output to keep copper price weak Global copper mine output is on track to rise rapidly for a second successive year, despite a recent landslide and a tragic tunnel collapse at two of the world’s largest mines (Bingham Canyon and... 21st May 2013 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Low shipping costs add to concerns over the recovery The persistent weakness in the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) is still primarily a reflection of the surge in the supply of cargo ships over the last few years. Demand for transporting dry bulk commodities... 16th May 2013 · 1 min read
