Energy Update US rig count continues to drop Another large fall in the US active rig count last week has disappointed those who had hoped it was stabilising. But they probably won’t have to wait too much longer to see a floor. 28th April 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Rally in iron ore prices to prove temporary The recent rally in iron ore prices is reflecting short-term market dynamics, including an upturn in Chinese steel production and somewhat lower stocks. But the bigger picture is that the market... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
Global Central Bank Watch Has the threat of deflation passed already? Signs that price pressures have picked up a bit during the past month or two have prompted some to suggest that the threat of deflation has vanished almost as suddenly as it appeared. We disagree. In... 27th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Relative calm unlikely to last In a relatively quiet week, oil prices consolidated their recent gains as the consensus swung round to our view that the lows recorded in Q1 would prove to be the turning point. However, powerful... 24th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update High stocks will overshadow lower cotton production Expectations of lower cotton production for this coming year have underpinned a rise in prices. However, with a glut of stocks, we still think the price will end the year lower. 24th April 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update US steel prices should pick up Having fallen sharply since late-2014, we expect US steel prices to stabilise and pick up over the course of this year owing to resilient domestic demand. That said, our forecast also assumes that the... 24th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Asia Cocoa Grindings (Q1 2015) Data on Asia’s Q1 cocoa grindings showed a 9.3% y/y decline, the third consecutive y/y fall. This follows declines announced last week in Europe and North America. 24th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China & Euro-zone Flash PMIs (Apr.) The continued deterioration in China’s manufacturing sector signalled by early business surveys for April is disappointing, but the prices of key industrial metals have already factored in a lot of... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Watch Return of Iranian oil unlikely to budge Saudi Arabia The recent deal between Iran and the West means that it is now very likely that substantial volumes of oil from Iran will return to the market. (We do note that although a final deal is not guaranteed... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Weather conditions start to take centre stage With eyes now starting to focus on the new crops in the Northern Hemisphere, changes in weather conditions have underpinned fluctuations in many agricultural commodity prices in recent weeks. In... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Light at the end of the tunnel for platinum prices The latest data show a surge in China’s platinum imports in March, suggesting that historically low prices are finally stimulating buying interest. We think higher Chinese import volumes can be... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Region’s politics take another twist The conflict in Yemen and an outline nuclear agreement between Iran and the West has thrust the region’s politics back into the spotlight. Although it looks like problems in Yemen are likely to drag... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Today’s data provide more evidence that US oil production is beginning to decline in response to lower prices rather than weather-related blips. 22nd April 2015 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update The EC’s case against Gazprom – the key points The European Commission today charged Gazprom with abusing its dominant position in Eastern Europe’s gas market. In this Update, we answer five key questions about the decision and the implications... 22nd April 2015 · 1 min read
India Economics Update How much of a threat is the surge in gold imports? The surge in gold imports last month is likely to have been boosted by temporary factors, including an unleashing of pent-up demand by buyers that had been expecting tax cuts (which didn’t materialise... 21st April 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response Global Steel Production (Mar. 15) World Steel Association (WSA) data for March show a 2.7% m/m decline in global steel output, with falls in most of the largest producers. However, some recovery can be expected in coming months... 21st April 2015 · 1 min read
