Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Israel-Hamas and Egypt, Qatar LNG, Saudi inflation Reports over the past week suggest that Egypt may be trying to leverage its role in the Israel-Gaza conflict to receive financial support. However, this would not address the fundamental issues behind... 19th October 2023 · 6 mins read
Energy Update Nuclear power still very much in the energy mix After several years in a post-Fukushima wilderness, nuclear power’s ability to provide low-emission and reliable electricity generation has slowly brought it back into favour around the world. Several... 19th October 2023 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Focus Chapter 4: Financial market implications Higher real and nominal Treasury yields in 2030, relative to the past decade, are one reason why we expect investors to be demanding a greater real return from risky assets in 2030 than they are now. 17th October 2023 · 0 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Cobalt prices to drift lower through 2024 Cobalt is likely to keep its position as a leading battery metal for years to come, but its high cost compared to alternative metals means that cobalt demand won’t grow as fast as overall battery... 13th October 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Update China's commodity demand remains rock solid China imported fewer key commodities in September than in August, but its underlying demand for commodities, especially fossil fuels, remains strong and is only likely to strengthen from here. 13th October 2023 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly How will the Israel-Gaza conflict affect the rest of MENA? The outbreak of conflict between Hamas and Israel this week has not yet spilled over into the wider Middle East and North Africa. But the situation is in flux and, if Iran were to be pulled into the... 12th October 2023 · 8 mins read
Energy Update Middle East instability threatens regional LNG exports The conflict between Hamas and Israel will negatively affect Israel’s natural gas exports. However, the bigger concern for global natural gas prices is the risk of the conflict spreading. In view of... 12th October 2023 · 2 mins read
China Economics Update Why is China’s commodities demand so strong? China’s recent commodity demand has been stronger than might have been expected given the weakness of its economy and commodity-intensive property sector in particular. This partly reflects a step-up... 12th October 2023 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update Ukraine’s grain exports will struggle to stay afloat The price of wheat and corn will stay historically high for now, as Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has re-ignited concerns about supply from Ukraine. We think that prices will... 11th October 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Weekly Few commodities spared from this week's sell-off It has been a week of declines for most commodity prices, as commodities were caught up in the more widespread selling of financial assets. Crude oil prices were among the hardest hit, whereas... 6th October 2023 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt election and UAE swap line, OPEC+, Saudi labour Egypt’s upcoming election in December has led to policy paralysis, particularly around the exchange rate. The currency swap line opened with the UAE this week appears aimed at bolstering resources to... 5th October 2023 · 8 mins read
Commodities Update China’s latest PMIs are positive for commodities The latest above-50 readings in China’s PMIs are consistent with our view that China’s demand for commodities will remain solid in the second half of this year, but not grow strongly. 2nd October 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Weekly Oil also higher for longer There wasn’t a clear trend in commodity prices this week. Natural gas prices in the US and Europe were among the largest risers, though those increases appear to have been driven by dips in regional... 29th September 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Outlook Looser monetary policy to support prices in 2024 We expect most commodity prices to struggle over the rest of this year as developed economies flirt with recession, the US dollar remains strong and investor risk appetite moderates. That said, we... 26th September 2023 · 28 mins read
Metals Data Response Global Steel Production (Aug.) The slowdown in global steel production in August is consistent with our long-held view that slowing demand will weigh on production in the second half of this year. Weakening demand stems from... 25th September 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Weekly Russia fuel export ban will temporarily lift crude prices Most commodity prices fell this week as the Federal Reserve left the door open to another interest rate hike before the end of the year, and indicated that rates will remain higher for longer. Russia... 22nd September 2023 · 4 mins read
