Africa Economics Update Nigeria: Bungled policy response plunges economy into crisis The response of Nigerian policymakers to falling oil prices has only worsened their country’s economic slump. Africa’s largest economy is now on the cusp of a self-induced economic crisis. 5th October 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack VW scandal drives a wedge between PGMs The performance of the major precious metals continued to diverge in September, with the palladium price buoyed by the Volkswagen scandal, while the other precious metals edged lower (before gold... 2nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Weak US data unsettle markets again The main event of the past week was the disappointing US jobs report for September, which clearly did little to improve investor confidence in the global economy. Yes, it will probably delay the first... 2nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack What do the new COFER data tell us about China’s reserves? China appears to hold a larger than average share of its fx reserves in US dollars, UK pounds and Australian dollars at the expense of euros and the Japanese yen. This is the conclusion we have... 2nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Focus The impact of China’s rebalancing on demand for commodities The move away from commodity-intensive investment-led growth in China towards a more consumer-driven economy is often cited as sounding the death knell for commodities demand. However, we would argue... 2nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Australia & New Zealand Economics Weekly Australia outperforming other commodity producers While we remain concerned about the outlook for the Australian economy, we think it will continue to outperform other commodity producers such as Canada, Brazil and Norway. Australia’s labour market... 2nd October 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack China concerns continue to weigh on prices Commodity prices fell again in September on concerns about a hard landing in China despite many leading indicators of the Chinese economy, including credit growth and fiscal spending, suggesting that... 1st October 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update US stocks don’t indicate any market shortage The latest US grain stocks estimates continue to signal that grain and oilseed supplies are plentiful. With weak currencies boosting the competitiveness of key exporters, we think dollar prices are... 1st October 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Crude oil and gasoline stocks both jumped last week, driven by lower refinery runs, higher imports and a dip in demand for oil products. 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Glencore’s woes may have silver lining for commodities We would not be surprised if the well-publicised problems at Glencore actually mark a trough for the prices of many industrial commodities. This (perhaps rather counter-intuitive) conclusion is based... 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Rapid Response Brazil fuel price hikes to give further push to inflation 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Soybean prices have further to fall The price of soybeans has fallen by around 15% in US dollar terms so far this year. However, the bigger picture is that the price has been in a downward trend since peaking close to 1,750 US cents per... 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Zinc’s fall from favour should be short-lived An unexpected spike in LME inventories in the last month has raised concerns about oversupply and contributed to a sharp drop in the price of zinc. However, stocks remain historically low and, with... 30th September 2015 · 1 min read
Precious Metals Update Platinum plummets as VW scandal engulfs Audi and Skoda The platinum price is trading close to the lowest level in over six years in response to revelations that Volkswagen (VW) was not alone in cheating on emissions tests for its diesel cars in the US and... 29th September 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Watch What would a hard landing in China mean for energy commodities? Fears about China’s economy have dominated headlines in recent months and have been the main factor behind the weakness in commodity prices. We have argued in previous publications that most of these... 29th September 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update China’s carbon trading to curb coal demand further China’s new national carbon cap-and-trade scheme constitutes yet another blow to the prospects for coal demand and prices. In contrast, lower production of steel, aluminium and some petroleum products... 28th September 2015 · 1 min read
