Commodities Update China’s commodity imports lifted by policy support The value of China’s imports fell once more in November, although the decline was not as large as anticipated. More significantly, commodity import volumes rose strongly, which suggests that low... 8th December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Cotton prices to remain under pressure from huge stocks Although cotton is shaping up to be one of the best performing commodities in 2016, its price has been on a downward trend over the second half of the year. We think that large global inventories will... 8th December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Brazil Sugar Production (16th Nov. – 1st Dec.) Figures released today by Brazil’s Sugarcane Industry Association, UNICA, show that 18.7 million tonnes of cane were harvested in the second half of November in the main Centre-South cane-growing... 8th December 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Banging the tin drum With exchange stocks at six-year lows and refined output falling, the tin market looks increasingly tight. However, stronger demand, which we expect in 2016, is needed for a sustained rise in prices. 7th December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update US lumber price should recover in 2016 The price of US lumber has fallen sharply this year, despite an ongoing improvement in the US housing sector. This divergence can be explained in part by the depreciation of the Canadian dollar, which... 7th December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Stronger dollar hits agriculturals as sentiment weakens A general strengthening of the US dollar in recent weeks, on expectations that the Fed will begin to raise interest rates this month, has been a key factor dragging agricultural prices lower. Along... 3rd December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Ample supplies to keep corn prices under pressure While the US EPA’s finalised renewable fuel standard should boost demand for US corn next year, we think ample global supplies will continue to weigh on the price in the near term. 2nd December 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Glimmers of hope on the demand side There are many factors behind the current weakness of commodity prices, including the overhang of supply from the previous boom, the strength of the US dollar, and poor investor sentiment. But there... 1st December 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Stronger economic growth to support oil demand A pick up in global growth over the next few years, especially in major oil consuming countries, should help demand for oil to remain strong rather than tail off. This in turn should support oil... 30th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update More supply cuts, but are they enough? China’s metal refiners have been announcing output cuts in 2016. Although Chinese producers have a poor record on curtailing production, we think a combination of reduced raw material supply and... 30th November 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Five factors that could shape grain & soybean prices in 2016 2015 has seen the prices of corn, wheat and soybeans fall sharply, dragged lower by a combination of large harvests, rising global inventories and weak currencies in a number of key producing and... 30th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update How low could iron ore prices fall? Iron ore prices have weakened sharply since September and have recently fallen below $45 per tonne, weighed down by slower demand growth and excessive supply. Given these weak market conditions, we... 27th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Deteriorating supply prospects should lift nickel prices The collapse in the nickel price this year is hard to justify based on fundamentals alone. Ultimately, we expect further constraints on supply, amid steady growth in demand, to boost prices in 2016. 26th November 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Oil price recovery should limit further falls in crop prices The recent weakness of oil prices has weighed on the prices of major agricultural commodities, since oil is an important component of crop production costs and oil prices affect demand for agriculture... 26th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update China’s REE trade data show demand still rising strongly China’s rare earth (REE) trade data show that exports were up 104% in the first ten months of 2015 compared to the same period a year earlier as the removal of export quotas and tariffs continued to... 25th November 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Any recovery in alumina prices is likely to be limited Alumina prices are strongly influenced by aluminium prices, as demand for aluminium constitutes the bulk of demand for alumina. Since we expect aluminium prices to recover only slowly, alumina prices... 25th November 2015 · 1 min read
