Europe Data Response Euro-zone Industrial Production (Feb.) February’s strong rise in euro-zone industrial production suggested that industry is starting to feel the benefits of a weaker euro and a lower oil price. 14th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China’s commodity import volumes bounce back in March China’s commodity import volumes rose in March, admittedly from a low base in February. However, lower prices appear to be encouraging purchases and we expect volumes to remain higher in Q2. 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Italian Industrial Production (Feb.) February’s Italian industrial production data added to signs that the long recession may finally be coming to an end. But the recovery still looks surprisingly slow given the boost provided by falls... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Oil shrugs off Iran deal A preliminary deal between Iran and the West saw oil prices fall sharply early this week, but they quickly rebounded as it became apparent that the return of Iranian oil exports would be delayed until... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update More bad news for grain & soybean prices The USDA’s latest set of estimates suggest that the global glut of grain and soybeans will be evenlarger. With ample supplies and high stocks, we continue to expect the prices of corn, wheat... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Oil and euro boosts to growth will fade next year We have revised our forecasts for euro-zone GDP growth higher to reflect the positive effects of lower oil prices and the decline in the euro. But growth could slow again next year as those positive... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack Metals prices searching for direction The GSCI industrial metals index has risen slightly since the end of February, but there have been some large price moves in individual metals. The lack of clarity on China’s future demand appears to... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Oil spreads to continue narrowing The spread between the price of Brent and the price of the US benchmark oil, WTI, should continue to narrow over the next few years as the glut of crude which has been built up in the US recedes. 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update USDA Weekly Export Sales (2nd Apr.) The latest US weekly data show a net decline in US soybean export sales as new purchases were offset by a large number of cancelled orders. 9th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Today’s data seem to confirm that last week’s fall in oil production and relatively small increase in crude stocks were more of a blip than a sign that the current upward trend in output and stocks... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Agriculturals continue to lag Although agricultural commodity prices have shown a bit of strength in recent weeks, they remain the poor cousin to other commodity groups. Indeed, while the S&P GSCI agriculture index has risen by 2%... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Recovery prospects clouded by Greece Recent indicators have brought signs of a renewed recovery in the euro-zone economy, reflecting the beneficial effects of lower oil prices and the decline in the euro exchange rate. But the picture... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response Indonesia Tin Exports (Mar. 15) Indonesia’s tin exports rose strongly in March, but we expect lower volumes in coming months owing to a self-imposed export quota. This will be one factor supporting our forecast that tin prices will... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Iranian oil likely to come back to the market, just not yet The preliminary deal reached between Iran and the Western powers should, eventually, allow Iranian oil exports to return to their previous levels. However, some of the finer details still have to be... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update Big falls in the Brazilian real are probably behind us The Brazilian real has come under renewed pressure over the past couple of months as markets have responded to an ugly mix of a stagnant economy and a deepening political crisis that is threatening to... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Calm before the (next) storm? The past week saw relatively little movement in commodity prices compared to the volatility earlier in the year, as the surge in the dollar ran out of steam. The biggest gainers – notably wheat and... 3rd April 2015 · 1 min read
