Industrial Metals Update Mine closures will lift zinc prices in 2015-16 Solid demand growth coupled with rapidly deteriorating mine supply prospects suggest zinc prices are set to rise in 2015-16. However, the potential for the release of unofficial stocks and restarts of... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Copper caught up in January sell-off The copper price has continued to tumble this week. We suspect this is due to financial factors rather than underlying fundamentals. The copper market’s high liquidity has made it vulnerable to... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Big number of small winners > small number of big losers Last week, mixed news on corporate earnings and an unexpected decline in underlying capital goods orders in December renewed fears that recent market moves are somehow a net negative for the US... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Bargain hunting to boost China’s commodity imports in 2015 Opportunistic buying supported strong growth in Chinese imports of many industrial commodities in 2014. We expect this trend to continue this year, supporting prices. 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Outlook Are very low bond yields here to stay? We forecast US Treasury yields to rise only gradually amid the onset of tighter Fed policy, while the yields of governments bonds in many other developed economies should remain very low against the... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update How hard will lower prices hit oil producers’ budgets? The collapse in oil prices will, of course, have a big negative impact on the fiscal positions of the world’s major oil producers. But countries with large fiscal buffers, including the Gulf economies... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly Reasons to be optimistic about Korea’s economy in 2015 Korea stands to be one of Emerging Asia’s biggest beneficiaries from lower oil prices, and will also be boosted by a recovery in the housing market and by expansionary fiscal policy. We think most... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence (Jan.) The strength of January’s GfK/NOP composite index of consumer confidence suggests that consumers’ spirits have been lifted by their stronger purchasing power, partly as a result of the collapse in the... 30th January 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update What next for the dysfunctional aluminium market? The aluminium market remains dysfunctional, as high stocks struggle to find their way onto the market, leading to elevated price premiums. Supply into the physical market should improve this year... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Asia Chart Pack Interest rate cuts to be exception rather than rule Expectations that the fall in oil prices will trigger a wave of interest rate cuts across Asia are probably wide of the mark. Admittedly, Pakistan, India and Singapore have each loosened monetary... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Data Response Chile Retail Sales, Ind. Prod. & Copper Prod. (Dec.) December’s activity data suggest that economic growth in Chile recovered in the fourth quarter of last year. But the bigger picture is that growth over 2014 as a whole was probably just 1.8%, the... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Ukraine’s move to curb wheat exports won’t stop prices falling Given ample global wheat supplies we don’t expect Ukraine’s announcement that it will limit wheat exports over the next six months to have much of an impact on the market. We therefore continue to... 29th January 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Today’s data show a further surge in US crude oil stocks as traders continue to store oil to take advantage of high futures prices. 28th January 2015 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Platinum prices to rise on buoyant jewellery demand The fall in the platinum price in H2 2014 has made the metal look increasingly good value. We expect strong growth in jewellery demand, notably in Asia, the release of some pent-up demand for new cars... 28th January 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Focus Are lower crude oil prices here to stay? The slump in oil prices over the last six months has vindicated the bearish view we have held for several years. Our central forecast is that the price of Brent will recover to $60 per barrel by the... 28th January 2015 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Government eases pressure on BoJ to expand stimulus The greater tolerance being shown by Japan’s government towards inflation remaining below target simply reflects the fact that the oil price collapse has made hitting the target all but impossible in... 28th January 2015 · 1 min read
