Precious Metals Update 2016 World Gold Council Demand Trends Global gold demand rose 2% y/y in 2016 to reach a three-year high of 4,309 tonnes. This increase was predominantly the result of strong safe-haven demand in the first half of the year. In 2017, we... 8th February 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Update US foreign policy is a major upside risk for oil prices Donald Trump’s foreign policy, especially regarding the Middle East, is likely to have a bigger impact on oil prices in the near term than changes to domestic energy policies. 6th 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
Metals Chart Pack Metals prices start the year on a strong note The prices of most metals rose last month (see Chart), buoyed by ongoing investor buying and expectations of strong demand in China and the US. The decision by the Fed to keep rates on hold in January... 3rd February 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Chart Pack Oil prices have a quiet start to 2017 After finishing 2016 on a high, oil prices were relatively stable in January as investors were waiting to see whether OPEC is complying with its deal to cut output. Elsewhere, a jump in economic... 2nd February 2017 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Stocks were on the move in January There have been some large moves in stocks, notably in Shanghai, over the last month. Stockbuilding was evident in China which may have been a symptom of weak demand, but we think it is more likely to... 2nd February 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Inventories of both crude oil and gasoline rose by more than expected last week. But the focus remains on OPEC. 1st February 2017 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update Dissecting Russia’s new fiscal rule Russia’s new “fiscal rule”, which takes effect this week, is unusual insofar as it governs how the budget deficit is financed, rather than anchoring either the size of the deficit or the scale of... 1st 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
Commodities Watch Agricultural prices to come under pressure in 2017 For the most part, the prices of agricultural commodities in US dollar terms rose in 2016, owing to a combination of weather-related supply disruptions, rising oil prices and some weakness in the US... 31st January 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Focus Will the oil market rebalance in 2017? There are a number of risks which could see oil prices slump back below $40 per barrel in the first half of this year. However, our central forecast is that the prices of Brent and WTI will dip a... 31st January 2017 · 1 min read
Metals Watch Metals to take a breather in 2017 While we had always been positive on the outlook for metals in 2016, even we were surprised by the scale of the rally. Indeed, we are now concerned that the prevailing optimism about demand for... 30th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Industrials continue to do well The prices of the more industrial commodities generally fared better this week, with a few notable exceptions in nickel and palladium. Optimism about demand continues to support prices. Indeed, this... 27th January 2017 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Optimism prevails, for now For the most part, commodity prices have started the year strongly, buoyed by persistent optimism about demand and some weakness in the US dollar. However, we are concerned that, in some cases, prices... 26th January 2017 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Global Steel Production (Dec. & 2016) After a weak start to the year, global steel production recovered and was growing briskly at 5.5% y/y in December, encouraged by high prevailing prices. In our view, the steel market is more than... 25th January 2017 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Inventories of both crude oil and gasoline grew last month as demand for both fuels remained weak. 25th January 2017 · 1 min read
