India Economics Update Domestic factors unlikely to cause rupee slump The rupee has been stable against the US dollar in recent months. Looking ahead, suggestions that domestic factors, including calls from within government for a devaluation of the currency and the RBI... 20th September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Bulging stocks to weigh on the prices of grains & soybeans Supply of the main grains and soybeans looks set to rise in 2016/17, after adverse weather –notably in Latin America – dented harvests in 2015/16. That said, many analysts suspect that the United... 19th September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Attention to return to the Fed The price of oil has taken a hit this week as hopes faded of an OPEC-led agreement between producers to freeze output. However, other industrial commodities performed somewhat better, buoyed by the... 16th September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Coffee prices perking up The prices of both robusta and arabica coffee are now at close to 18-month highs, as a result of weather-related crop damage, concerns about future supply and falling export volumes. However, if... 7th September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Prices get a payrolls boost A weaker-than-expected US employment report on Friday all but removed the prospect of a US interest rate rise this month, although we still think a hike is likely before the end of the year. The... 2nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Investors turn positive on oil The recent rally in the oil price has been fuelled by speculation that output will be curtailed and, as such, may lose steam if no deal is forthcoming. Meanwhile, the combination of a somewhat weaker... 23rd August 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Have sugar prices hit a sweet spot? The price of sugar in US dollar terms has soared, rising by nearly 30% since the start of the year, on reports of poor harvests and falling stocks. However, the upward pressure on prices from... 4th August 2016 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack Capital injections too small to revive banking sector The government’s announcement this week that it will inject more capital into local banks is a positive step, but the amount is still too limited to revive the ailing sector. 22nd July 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Palm oil prices to fall further The price of palm oil rallied strongly in early 2016 on a combination of smaller harvests, rising soybean (and soy oil) prices and a rally in crude oil prices. These factors more than offset the... 5th July 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly A relatively muted response to Brexit Unsurprisingly, the prices of most commodities have fallen in the wake of the UK’s vote to leave the EU. The main exception is gold, which has benefitted from renewed safe-haven demand as well as the... 24th June 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly All about Brexit Worries about contagion from a UK vote to leave the European Union (‘Brexit’) have undermined the prices of riskier assets this past week, including oil and other industrial commodities, while... 17th June 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Uncertain times ahead Commodity price indices have had another strong month, supported by positive investor sentiment and the rally in the oil price. However, sentiment started to sour more recently on mixed data out of... 14th June 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly When bad news is good news… Metals prices bounced on Friday, led by silver, gold and copper, as the downbeat US payrolls report quashed expectations of a summer rate hike by the Fed and dragged the dollar lower again. This... 3rd June 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Rising oil doesn’t necessarily lift all prices Oil prices have continued to recover, with Brent at least briefly topping $50, but this positivity was not replicated across the board. Indeed, the recovery in oil probably contributed to the weakness... 27th May 2016 · 1 min read
India Chart Pack PM Modi's first two years end on a high note Two years on from his inauguration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arguably just enjoyed his most successful month in office. For a start, PM Modi's BJP secured two important legislative victories... 25th May 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Fed jitters take some of the steam out of the rally Commodity prices fell back in the past week after the release of the minutes from the April FOMC signalled that US interest rates could yet rise as soon as next month. The markets are still only... 20th May 2016 · 1 min read