Commodities Update Three scenarios for US corn prices In this note we set out three illustrative scenarios for the price of US corn. If the dry weather remains the key driver and conditions turn out to be as bad as those in 1988, then corn could still... 9th July 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Spike in price of Brent unlikely to be sustained The price of Brent crude has jumped back above $100 per barrel (pb) today, but we doubt this rebound will last for long. In particular, Iran’s threats to disrupt the flow of oil through the Strait of... 4th July 2012 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Are the markets right to shrug off the US ISM? The markets have taken the alarmingly weak US ISM data in their stride, seemingly banking on European policymakers and the US Fed to turn things around quickly. This muted reaction looks complacent to... 3rd July 2012 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What effect will Iran sanctions have on oil prices? We maintain our view that the imminent tightening of Western sanctions on Iran is unlikely to have anywhere near as large an impact on global oil prices as many had feared. Demand is weakening and... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Food inflation to continue to fall despite corn price spike The recent jump in US corn prices has led to fears of an upturn in world food inflation. However, agricultural prices in general are still much lower than they were a year ago, and even the surge in... 29th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Where next for oil prices? The $30 slump since early May, which has taken Brent below $90 per barrel (pb), suggests that the global benchmark oil price could hit our end-2012 target of $85 even sooner than we had anticipated... 22nd June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Manufacturing PMIs drag commodities lower The Chinese and euro-zone flash manufacturing PMIs both fell in June. China’s economy should pick up again in the second half of the year but the slump in commodity prices has further to run. 21st June 2012 · 1 min read
Global Economics Update Would euro break-up trigger a Lehman-style global crisis? Our working assumption is that there will only be a limited break-up of the euro-zone, with Greece and one or two other smaller countries leaving this year or next but policy-makers managing the... 18th June 2012 · 1 min read
Japan Economics Update Can Japan’s stimulus offset weak demand elsewhere? Japan’s post-earthquake policy stimulus may be having a positive impact on the demand for commodities, but any boost will be short-lived and should be far smaller than the potential adverse effects of... 13th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update USDA’s estimates consistent with lower grain prices The United States Department for Agriculture’s (USDA) latest estimates for 2012/13 indicate a further marginal increase in both the global corn and soybean end stocks. This is consistent with our... 12th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Saudi's $100 "target" won't set a floor on oil prices OPEC is almost certain to maintain its official output ceiling at 30 million barrels per day (bpd) at its meeting on Thursday. This decision would not preclude some cuts in production in the coming... 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China's commodity imports rebound China’s imports of commodities were surprisingly strong in May. The figures were probably flattered by the temporary closures of customs offices in the previous month and by some commodity-specific... 11th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Wheat prices to fall 20% as weather concerns ease Wheat prices have been very volatile recently due to uncertainty over the crops in key producing countries such as the US and Russia. Unfavourable weather may indeed reduce the global harvest compared... 8th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Hints of policy support don’t change the bigger picture Commodity prices have regained some ground this week on hopes of additional policy stimulus. However, actions speak louder than words. With the exception of widely anticipated rate cuts in China, the... 7th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update More price falls to come, led by oil Other analysts are reportedly “shell-shocked” by the sharp declines in the prices of oil and other commodities in May, but we had already been braced for the fall-out from an escalation of the crisis... 6th June 2012 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Can the US monetary data explain the price of gold? The relationship between the dollar price of gold and the size of the US monetary base is not as robust as often assumed. Prior to the global financial crisis there was barely any relationship at all... 30th May 2012 · 1 min read