Energy Focus What can game theory tell us about OPEC’s decisions? Contrary to almost all expectations, compliance with OPEC’s output quotas has been good so far. However, game theory suggests that higher oil prices increase the pay-off from cheating on the deal... 22nd March 2018 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Zinc’s rally looks rusty Robust demand and constrained supply have pushed the price of zinc higher over the past year. But fundamentals have deteriorated sharply in recent months and point to substantially lower prices ahead. 22nd March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Update No need to fear the Fed The prospect of additional US rate hikes could weigh on commodity prices this year and will almost certainly lead to a lower gold price. But our negative outlook for industrial commodity prices is... 22nd March 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Inventories of crude oil fell last week as imports dropped and demand from refineries jumped. However, production is still rising rapidly. We expect soaring output to lead to higher stocks and lower... 21st March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Rice prices to come off the boil In this Commodities Watch, we will analyse supply and demand in the global rice market and explain why we think the price of Thai rice will struggle to hold on to its recent gains. 20th March 2018 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Will the green economy drive the next commodity super-cycle? Commodity prices tend to go through extended boom and bust periods, sometimes known as super-cycles. The presence of super-cycles in commodity prices matters for a number of reasons but most... 16th March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly All quiet on the commodities front There were few large moves in commodity prices this week. China’s activity data for the first two months of the year, published on Wednesday, were reasonably strong but failed to give a material lift... 16th March 2018 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update The future of solar is not paved with silver The solar industry has been the fastest growing source of demand for silver in recent years. While we expect photovoltaic capacity to continue to increase at a fast pace over the next decade, we think... 15th March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Update US tariffs unnerve metals markets Commodity prices have rebounded, after slumping in the wake of the global equity sell-off in late January, although they have dipped a bit lately, despite dollar weakness. The agriculture index has... 14th March 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Another rise in US production drove crude stocks higher last week, despite lower net imports and a rebound in demand from refineries. Surging oil supply from the US is a key reason why we expect oil... 14th March 2018 · 1 min read
OPEC Watch OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (Mar.) There was another significant rise in OPEC’s forecast of non-OPEC production in 2018, reflecting recent strong growth in the OECD. However, the cartel still expects the market to be in a deficit this... 14th March 2018 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Rising copper stocks point to subdued demand There have been some big jumps in stocks of copper, aluminium and zinc since the start of 2018, but inventories of the other base metals have fallen slightly. Given that we expect demand to soften... 14th March 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Update Growth in LNG demand to come off the boil The liquefied natural gas (LNG) market looks set to remain comfortably supplied this year, particularly as we expect growth in Asian LNG demand to slow. Given that we are also forecasting a fall in... 12th March 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Aramco IPO delay to have little near-term impact Reports that the initial public offering of Saudi Arabia’s national oil company, Aramco, will be delayed until next year are not a major surprise given the complexity of the transaction. The delay... 12th March 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Rising trade deficit may embolden the protectionists Following the move this week to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium, the widening in the trade deficit to a nine-year high in January is likely to have bolstered President Donald Trump’s... 9th March 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Trump’s tariffs become reality The big news this week was confirmation of President Trump’s tariffs on US steel and aluminium imports on national security grounds. This sent US steel prices even higher, but weighed on prices in... 9th March 2018 · 1 min read
