Commodities Chart Pack A positive month for commodities Encouraging Chinese economic data and the Fed’s decision to leave interest rates on hold boosted the prices of most commodities last month. That said, gold traded in a narrow range, perhaps starting... 3rd October 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly OPEC’s surprise deal lacks substance The price of oil surged this week in response to the announcement that OPEC members had reached a deal to curb output. However, we are sceptical that this new deal will lead to lower oil supply, not... 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Is China’s appetite for gold faltering? The slump in China’s imports of gold in August has raised concerns about the country’s appetite for the yellow metal. However, the bigger picture is one of relatively robust demand so far this year... 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
Canada Data Response GDP by Industry (Jul. 16) The bigger than expected 0.5% m/m gain in July GDP means that the Bank of Canada’s forecast of a 3.5% annualised increase for the third quarter as a whole now looks well within reach. However, it is... 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
Europe Data Response Euro-zone Flash CPI (Sep.) & Unemployment (Aug.) Headline inflation in the euro-zone has started to pick up as the effects of previous falls in energy prices fade. But with a large amount of slack in the labour market, underlying price pressures... 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Update US natural gas prices unlikely to rise much further Stronger supply and weaker demand from utilities over the next few months, assuming normal weather, should help keep the price of US natural gas steady until the end of the year. 30th September 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Resilient Chinese economy supports prices Industrial metals prices have profited in the last month from relatively upbeat economic data out of China as well as the Fed’s decision not to raise interest rates just yet. We expect China’s economy... 29th September 2016 · 1 min read
Latin America Economics Update An anatomy of Brazil’s recession The depth of Brazil’s recession has been blamed on everything from lower global commodity prices and tightening domestic credit conditions to poor infrastructure and excessive red tape. But this... 29th September 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia: first thoughts on the implications of the OPEC deal Last night’s OPEC deal to cut output is short on details, although our sense is that it’s unlikely to be a game-changer for Saudi Arabia, even if it shoulders most of the burden of the fall in... 29th September 2016 · 1 min read
OPEC Watch OPEC deal not a game-changer for oil markets Last night’s surprise OPEC announcement that it will limit output caused prices to surge. But the lack of details, OPEC’s poor record of compliance with its own quotas and the potential for shale... 29th September 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report (28th Sep. 16) US crude oil stocks fell last week as net imports and domestic production fell. However, gasoline stocks rose – despite lower refinery output – as demand weakened. 28th September 2016 · 1 min read
Emerging Europe Economics Update How much of a concern are Russia’s public finances? The fall in oil prices has caused a considerable deterioration in Russia’s budget position, forcing the government to dip into its oil reserves. In this Update, we answer six key questions on the... 28th September 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update What do higher coking coal prices mean for iron ore? The recent doubling of coking coal prices has been cited as good news for the price of iron ore. However, we think quite the contrary. A supply shock has underpinned the rally in coking coal prices... 26th September 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Algiers unlikely to be a game-changer For the most part, commodity prices have risen this week, boosted by some weakness in the US dollar. The Fed's decision on Wednesday to keep interest rates on hold weighed on the US currency. That... 23rd September 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi Arabia likely to stick with fiscal austerity There have been signs in recent weeks that the sharp slowdown in the Saudi economy caused by fiscal austerity may have prompted the authorities to look at alternative solutions to deal with the... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update China’s metals imports remained subdued in August August was another weak month for China’s metals imports. In some cases, lower supply and higher prices have weighed on import volumes. However, relatively soft underlying demand could have also... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
