Commodities Watch WASDE projections a mixed bag for agriculturals On the 11th May, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its first projections for the 2017/18 season. In this Commodities Watch, we discuss the USDA estimates and what they mean for our... 22nd May 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Poor prospects for the price of palm oil The price of palm oil has been falling so far in 2017, in tandem with most other agricultural commodities. In this Commodities Watch, we will discuss whether the recent price weakness is justified by... 10th May 2017 · 1 min read
India Economics Update Rupee surges to 20-month high The rally in the Indian rupee since the start of 2017 has continued in recent weeks, driving the currency to its highest rate against the US dollar in almost two years. While we doubt that the rally... 21st April 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack A month of two halves After a weak start to the month, the prices of both gold and oil subsequently rebounded, despite the Fed’s decision to hike interest rates. The accompanying dovish statement lowered expectations of... 3rd April 2017 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Demonetisation impact wearing off The latest economic data for India suggest that the most acute impact from the government’s demonetisation measures has now passed. Both the manufacturing and services PMI readings for February came... 23rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Optimism prevails, for now It has been an eventful week in commodity markets but, for the most part, prices have risen. The US 25bp rate hike on Wednesday was widely anticipated so markets chose to focus on the fact that the... 17th March 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Policy uncertainty is weighing on US agriculture In late February, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) published its first assessment of the prospects for US crops in 2017/18. In this Commodities Watch, we will discuss the USDA’s forecasts and... 8th March 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodity prices brace themselves for Fed tightening The big news this week was the ratcheting up of expectations of an imminent rate hike by the Fed, which weighed on most commodity prices. That said, the prices of US grains and soybeans rose, on... 3rd March 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Commodities hold on to their gains, despite uncertainty Most commodity prices traded in a narrow range last month, in the absence of clarity on developments in China (owing to the Lunar New Year Holiday) and on US policy direction. That said, the price of... 1st March 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities still looking for direction Commodity prices were broadly unchanged this week, aside from a few notable exceptions. Cobalt was the star performer as concerns about supply and expectations of strong demand led to a surge in... 24th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities consolidate While a slight weakening of the US dollar provided some support to prices this week, individual demand and supply fundamentals were the main drivers. Oil prices fell as a further rise in US stocks... 17th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Investors still in love with commodities The prices of most commodities have risen since the start of the year, boosted by optimism about demand and, in some cases, disrupted supply. A period of weakness in the US dollar has helped, but the... 14th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Yellen’s testimony unlikely to be a market mover Most commodity prices rose this week despite a sharp appreciation of the US dollar. The latest data on Chinese trade, released today, show that commodity import volumes jumped in January but this... 10th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Outlook Time to sound a note of caution Commodity prices continued their strong run in the early weeks of 2017, but we are concerned that investor optimism may fade in the months ahead. Prices have been buoyed by the pick-up in China’s... 10th February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Mixed news for commodity markets Most commodity prices took a bit of a hit this morning as China raised its short-term interest rate, in a clear sign that supporting growth is no longer the primary immediate goal of policymakers... 3rd February 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Commodities keep their cool Commodity prices were remarkably stable in January, considering the flurry of executive orders by the new US president, Donald Trump. Data showing that China ended 2016 on a strong note was a key... 1st February 2017 · 1 min read
