Commodities Weekly Commodities still looking for direction Commodity prices were broadly unchanged this week, aside from a few notable exceptions. Cobalt was the star performer as concerns about supply and expectations of strong demand led to a surge in... 24th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities consolidate While a slight weakening of the US dollar provided some support to prices this week, individual demand and supply fundamentals were the main drivers. Oil prices fell as a further rise in US stocks... 17th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Yellen’s testimony unlikely to be a market mover Most commodity prices rose this week despite a sharp appreciation of the US dollar. The latest data on Chinese trade, released today, show that commodity import volumes jumped in January but this... 10th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Mixed news for commodity markets Most commodity prices took a bit of a hit this morning as China raised its short-term interest rate, in a clear sign that supporting growth is no longer the primary immediate goal of policymakers... 3rd February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Industrials continue to do well The prices of the more industrial commodities generally fared better this week, with a few notable exceptions in nickel and palladium. Optimism about demand continues to support prices. Indeed, this... 27th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodity prices take a breather The prices of most commodities eased back this week. Agricultural commodities fared slightly better, primarily on the back of weather-related concerns about supply. Data released on Friday confirming... 20th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Volatility returns to commodity markets After a quiet start to 2016, commodity markets have sprung into life. Late in the week, comments by OPEC members that they would deepen output cuts and possibly extend them until the end of 2017... 13th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities looking for direction It has been a quiet start to 2017 in commodity markets. Investors appear to be taking a wait-and-see approach, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Trump and more clarity on his policy... 6th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities end 2016 on a strong note Prices have drifted a bit this week, ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday period. However, the bigger picture is that the prices of most industrial commodities are ending the year significantly... 22nd December 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities largely shrug off Fed rate hike The response of commodity prices to Wednesday’s US rate hike was relatively muted as the move had been widely anticipated. Predictably, precious metals, notably gold, fell on the news but further... 16th December 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Focus on the Fed statement and Trump’s reaction The prices of most industrial metals surged this week, largely due to increased investor interest. Strong China’s imports in November and the prospect of fiscal stimulus in the US further buoyed... 9th December 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly OPEC seal the deal Oil prices surged this week as OPEC surpassed expectations by confirming production cuts and announcing quotas for member countries. Given OPEC’s poor record on compliance, we are sceptical that the... 2nd December 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Oil market in wait-and-see mode The prices of industrial metals surged again this week, in large part due to investor buying. In contrast, the price of gold fell further as the dollar appreciated and the minutes of the November FOMC... 25th November 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities take stock After last week’s wild swings, the prices of most commodities stabilised this week. That said, positive comments from OPEC and Russian officials on the prospects for output cuts gave oil prices a... 18th November 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities swing wildly on Trump victory Although the prices of industrial commodities initially plunged and gold rose on the news of Donald Trump’s victory in the US election, sentiment reversed very quickly as the President-elect Trump... 11th November 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly US election taking centre-stage Energy and agricultural prices took a tumble this week, but for the most part industrial and precious metals performed well. Although the dollar fell, the depreciation was driven by uncertainty over... 4th November 2016 · 1 min read
