Global Markets Update Is the value of everything really too high? To some, the recent sell-off in global financial markets was merely the beginning of what will soon become a much bigger downturn, because the valuations of many assets remain excessively high... 28th August 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Industrial commodities set for strong recovery into year-end The relief rally in Chinese equities prompted by additional policy stimulus has turned global sentiment around, but a sustained recovery in commodity prices will probably require hard evidence that... 28th August 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Weekly Equity sell-off to reverse soon The recent equity market sell-off in Japan, which originated in China, does not reflect a major deterioration in the economic outlook for Japan. In fact, there are signs that Chinese demand for... 28th August 2015 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Glimmer of hope for investment While it is hard to describe any of the recent news on investment in Australia as “good”, the latest figures were not as bad as we had feared. In particular, the plunge in commodity prices does not... 28th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update What do the new Indonesian regulations mean for tin prices? Indonesia, the world’s top exporter of tin, has introduced new regulations on the production and shipping of the solder metal. On their own, the new controls are unlikely to boost prices, but they... 27th August 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US stocks of crude oil fell sharply last week, but stocks of gasoline rose, despite more US refiners being offline for maintenance. 26th August 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Focus Making sense of the commodity slump Investor sentiment towards commodities has rarely – if ever – been more negative. However, the recent sharp falls in prices can largely be seen as the continuation of trends in place since 2011. The... 26th August 2015 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update Nigeria: Structural issues, not oil prices, drag down growth Yesterday’s Nigerian GDP figures showed that the country’s economy slowed even more sharply than weexpected in the second quarter. While low oil prices have battered the economy, the recent figures... 26th August 2015 · 1 min read
China Activity Monitor No sign of crisis in latest activity data After the drama of the past few days, our updated China Activity Proxy (CAP) tells a relatively reassuring story about the state of China’s economy. 26th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Falling stocks may boost some metals’ prices Exchange stocks of copper remain high and have risen strongly since the start of 2015. However, stocks of other metals, notably tin and lead, are now at very low levels on a historical basis. This may... 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update The price of US lumber set for strong recovery The price of US lumber has continued to fall since early June. But with single family unit starts andindustry confidence strengthening, we think that the price of lumber will end the year higher. 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Gulf unlikely to be flustered by latest drop in oil prices The drop in oil prices over the past couple of months is unlikely to cause policymakers in the GCC countries to panic. The region’s large reserves mean that most countries are under little immediate... 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update OPEC to resist calls to cut output We think that OPEC will remain steadfast in its policy of maintaining high output, despite the renewed slump in oil prices and the potential return of exports from Iran. 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response South Africa’s Mine Production (Jun.) Although the latest data show stronger output in the South African PGM sector in June, the risk of strike action has risen in the last month and the potential for further power disruption remains. We... 25th August 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update MENA equity markets take a bruising Equity markets across the MENA region have been hit hard over the past month against the backdrop of the general turmoil in global financial markets and a fresh drop in oil prices. 24th August 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Sticking with (most of) our forecasts for developed markets We have reviewed our key forecasts for developed markets in light of the renewed slump in China’s stock market and related panic. Despite the turmoil, for now we are retaining our existing forecasts... 24th August 2015 · 1 min read
