Latin America Economics Update Mexico: mining downturn should soon bottom out We estimate that a fall in mining output shaved about 0.4%-pts off annual GDP growth in Mexico in Q3. Mining output should stabilise over the coming year, but we doubt that reforms to the sector will... 11th October 2017 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update India’s gold demand to remain soft The Indian government’s decision to reverse an order that brought the gem & jewellery sector under anti-money laundering legislation is certainly good news for the gold industry. That said, demand is... 10th October 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Update Will US oil exports really help rebalance the market? The collapse in US net oil imports over the last few weeks has helped to draw down crude inventories in the country. This has raised hopes that market rebalancing is accelerating and has been one... 9th October 2017 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Does the rally in alumina prices have legs? The jump in alumina prices is probably premised largely on the prospect of winter capacity closures in China. But given that aluminium production could also fall, the market may not be as tight as it... 9th October 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly A busy week ahead … It was a relatively quiet week on the news front, at least until the US labour data on Friday. The 33,000 drop in non-farm payrolls came as a surprise, even though markets had expected hurricane... 6th October 2017 · 1 min read
Metals Watch What are auto sales telling us about metals demand? Vehicles are a growing source of demand for metals, including platinum group metals (PGMs), zinc, aluminium, steel, nickel and copper. In this Metals Watch we look at the latest trends in global auto... 6th October 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Update Should the oil market worry about sanctions on Iran? If President Trump refuses to waive the sanctions on Iran’s oil exports then we would expect oil prices to rise. However, it is not clear that Congress would vote to re-impose sanctions on the country... 6th October 2017 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack Hold on to your hard hats! The prices of most metals fell in September as a rising US dollar and upward revisions to expectations of US interest rate hikes weighed on investor sentiment. Signs of somewhat softer economic... 5th October 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Turning the corner Growth across the Middle East and North Africa has slowed further this year, but it should recover in 2018 and 2019. In the Gulf, the drag on GDP growth from this year’s oil production cuts will fade... 5th October 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report A surge in exports to the highest level on record last week helped to draw down crude stocks. We expect exports to remain high while the Brent-WTI spread is wide which should help to reduce stocks... 4th October 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Chart Pack Have oil and coal prices peaked? The rallies in the prices of coal and oil look like they may have run out of steam in the last week. The prices of both had been boosted by stronger demand and supply disruptions. However, global... 4th October 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Rally in oil starting to burn out Oil prices surged in September, which in turn boosted the prices of agriculturals. In contrast, concerns about demand and dollar appreciation weighed on metals prices. Looking ahead, the price of oil... 2nd October 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Update No clear signal from China’s PMIs China’s official and unofficial PMIs diverged in September, but both suggested that smaller, private sector manufacturers are struggling. The authorities appear aware of the sector’s woes as the cut... 2nd October 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi downturn deepens, blockade hits Qatar’s economy Official GDP data show that the contraction in Saudi Arabia’s economy worsened in Q2 and our GDP Tracker suggests that downturn deepened further at the start of Q3. We expect a recovery to get... 2nd October 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Ample supply weighs on agriculturals There were some sharp moves in metals prices this week, as investors took positions ahead of the weeklong holiday in China. Meanwhile, oil prices edged higher on speculation that OPEC will extend its... 29th September 2017 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Platinum-to-palladium spread turns negative, for now Palladium was in the spotlight yesterday as its price traded at a premium to platinum for the first time in sixteen years. However, unlike platinum, investors’ net-long position in palladium looks... 29th September 2017 · 1 min read
