Energy Update European gas prices will undershoot oil price recovery We are forecasting that the price of Brent Crude will reach $60 per barrel by the end of next year, but there are several reasons why we do not expect European natural gas prices to experience a... 12th May 2016 · 1 min read
Africa Economics Update South Africa: Very weak showing in key sectors Declining output from the manufacturing and mining sectors underscore the weakness of South Africa’s economy. Given today’s grim figures – and the recent jump in unemployment – we expect that the SARB... 12th May 2016 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response South Africa’s Mine Production (Mar.) South Africa’s PGMs production rebounded in March, having fallen sharply in the first two months of the year, suggesting that mining firms have been enticed to raise output in response to higher... 12th May 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report A sharp increase in demand for crude from refineries helped to reduce the amount of crude in storage last week. 11th May 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Stockbuild in China reflects optimism about demand Since the start of 2016, stocks of all the LME metals have fallen, while SHFE inventories of the same metals have risen. We think this trend reflects two main factors. First, optimism that physical... 11th May 2016 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update How much of a threat are electric cars to PGMs demand? Electric vehicles have been the subject of much publicity recently, leading some commentators to question the future of PGMs in the auto industry. While we recognise the growing importance of electric... 10th May 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Update Oil production outages supporting prices, for now Disruptions to oil output around the world have put the brakes on the slide in oil prices since the beginning of this month. However, these production outages should only be temporary. When output is... 10th May 2016 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Copper still waiting in the wings The price of copper has not risen by as much as the prices of other metals in recent months. But we think the underlying outlook for demand is strong and that there are risks on the supply side. As... 10th May 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China’s commodity import demand remains robust The sharp year-on-year decline in China’s import values in April has attracted some negative headlines but largely reflects distortions around the timing of the Lunar New Year and the slump in... 9th May 2016 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Investor exuberance wanes For the most part, commodity prices fell this week. This was not too surprising as the prices of many commodities, particularly the more industrial ones, appeared to have moved ahead of fundamentals... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack Precious metals rally on dollar weakness Precious metals prices rallied in April, flattered by the recent dollar weakness. We have been positive on the outlook for precious metals since the start of the year owing to the prospect of lower... 6th May 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Watch Oil price rally could be sowing seeds of its own destruction The recent rally in oil prices has been stronger than even we had anticipated. However, prices have already fallen back slightly from their recent peak and we would not be surprised to see some... 5th May 2016 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack A note of caution on the recent price rallies The prices of most industrial metals rose in April, although prices have eased back in the last week. A weaker US dollar, as market expectations of US interest rate rises were scaled back, was a key... 5th May 2016 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Is the recent rally in PGM prices sustainable? The recent rally in platinum group metals (PGM) prices has been stronger than we had anticipated and may not be sustainable. Indeed, prices have already retraced slightly from their recent peak of a... 4th May 2016 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report US crude stocks rose again last week despite US oil production experiencing its largest weekly decline this year, and a rise in inputs to refineries. 4th May 2016 · 1 min read
