Commodities Update Divergence with the dollar unlikely to last In the last month, commodity prices have risen or held steady, despite a sharp appreciation of the US dollar. We think that the long-run inverse relationship will be restored in the second half of... 5th June 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Chart Pack Surging US output weighs on WTI Oil prices were volatile in May, rising in the first half of the month as President Trump re-imposed sanctions on Iran, then falling in the second half due to rising US production and speculation that... 5th June 2018 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update What do higher oil prices mean for Latin America? The rise in oil prices over the past six-nine months will have a mixed effect on economies in Latin America, with Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador the biggest winners, and Chile the biggest loser. 4th June 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Trade back in focus It has been a busy week on the news front. The early part of the week was dominated by the political crisis in Italy, which weighed on the euro. Later in the week, President Trump announced that he... 1st June 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Commodities shrug off the stronger dollar Commodity price indices surged in May despite a jump in the US dollar. Oil prices got a boost from the re-imposition of US sanctions on Iran which threaten to reduce oil output by up to 1m bpd... 1st June 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Inventories of crude oil fell last week due to a dip in net imports and strong demand from refineries. But the pick-up in crude production is more than sufficient to meet the increase in demand, which... 31st May 2018 · 1 min read
UK Economics Update Rising oil prices won’t prevent a consumer recovery Fears that the recent rise in oil prices will severely dampen consumer spending are probably somewhat overdone. Indeed, even if oil prices remain at current levels, higher inflation would eat into... 29th May 2018 · 1 min read
US Economics Weekly Will rising oil prices hold the economy back? The rally in crude oil prices in recent months ought to be a negative for a net oil importer like the US, but we don’t expect the increase, up to now at least, to prevent an acceleration in GDP growth... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Oil takes a tumble Agricultural commodities were some of the star performers this week as a truckers’ strike in Brazil raised concerns about supply. In contrast, metals prices struggled, as the trade talks between China... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Watch Will OPEC raise output? The next OPEC meeting on 22nd June will probably decide the direction of oil prices over the rest of the year. This Energy Watch will examine how OPEC is progressing towards the aims it set out when... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Asia Economics Weekly What does the latest spike in oil prices mean for Asia? The recent jump in oil prices will act as a headwind to economic activity across the region, with the drag on growth likely to be biggest in Thailand, Taiwan and Korea. However, with monetary and... 25th May 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Watch Does the oil price determine other commodity prices? The price of oil has soared since mid-February. In this Commodities Watch, we will discuss whether the rise in oil prices has positive implications for the prices of other commodities. 24th May 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Inventories of crude oil rose last week as net imports jumped despite a widening of the Brent-WTI spread. The spread is likely to remain wide over the next few months as surging output and logistical... 23rd May 2018 · 1 min read
Energy Update High oil prices threaten demand growth We expect global oil consumption to rise steadily this year on the back of strong economic growth. However, if oil prices remain around their current levels or rise further, consumption growth could... 22nd May 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Will rising oil prices trigger fiscal loosening in the Gulf? The recent rally in oil prices has already prompted governments across the Gulf to shift away from the harsh austerity of recent years. But long-term oil price expectations are still low and the... 18th May 2018 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update What do higher energy prices mean for Japan? The recent jump in crude oil prices will give a significant lift to inflation in Japan, taking it somewhat closer to the Bank of Japan’s target, but only for a short while. For a large net energy... 18th May 2018 · 1 min read