Europe Data Response Italian Industrial Production (Feb.) February’s Italian industrial production data added to signs that the long recession may finally be coming to an end. But the recovery still looks surprisingly slow given the boost provided by falls... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Oil shrugs off Iran deal A preliminary deal between Iran and the West saw oil prices fall sharply early this week, but they quickly rebounded as it became apparent that the return of Iranian oil exports would be delayed until... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economics Weekly Oil and euro boosts to growth will fade next year We have revised our forecasts for euro-zone GDP growth higher to reflect the positive effects of lower oil prices and the decline in the euro. But growth could slow again next year as those positive... 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Oil spreads to continue narrowing The spread between the price of Brent and the price of the US benchmark oil, WTI, should continue to narrow over the next few years as the glut of crude which has been built up in the US recedes. 10th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report Today’s data seem to confirm that last week’s fall in oil production and relatively small increase in crude stocks were more of a blip than a sign that the current upward trend in output and stocks... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Europe Economic Outlook Recovery prospects clouded by Greece Recent indicators have brought signs of a renewed recovery in the euro-zone economy, reflecting the beneficial effects of lower oil prices and the decline in the euro exchange rate. But the picture... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Iranian oil likely to come back to the market, just not yet The preliminary deal reached between Iran and the Western powers should, eventually, allow Iranian oil exports to return to their previous levels. However, some of the finer details still have to be... 8th April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Calm before the (next) storm? The past week saw relatively little movement in commodity prices compared to the volatility earlier in the year, as the surge in the dollar ran out of steam. The biggest gainers – notably wheat and... 3rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update No light at the end of the tunnel for coal prices We expect global demand for coal to be subdued and prices to fall further over the next few years as major consumers in China, the US and Europe continue to move away from coal power. 3rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Commodities remain in thrall to the dollar The ebb and flow of sentiment towards the US currency continues to be a key driver of commodity markets and especially gold and silver, keeping prices sensitive to the latest US economic data and... 3rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Data Response US Weekly Petroleum Status Report A fall in US output and higher demand from refineries helped to reduce the amount of oil flowing into storage last week. But stocks are still rising. 2nd April 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update European gas prices heading back down We expect European natural gas prices to fall this year as greater supply and the impact of lower oil prices more than offset higher demand. 1st April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia simply taking a long-term view of the oil market Saudi Arabia’s lack of a response to the plunge in oil prices has triggered a torrent of conspiracy theories, including plots to hurt Russia and Iran. These have been given extra prominence in light... 1st April 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Middle East tensions boost oil prices A variety of factors have lifted commodity prices this past week. Renewed Middle East fears following events in Yemen boosted oil and gold. Copper prices continued their gradual recovery, helped by... 27th March 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Chart Pack Currency sell-off puts paid to further policy loosening Currencies in Latin America have regained some ground over the past week, but have still typically fallen by between 10-20% against the dollar over the past six months. The risk that the slide in... 26th March 2015 · 1 min read
Energy Update Fallout from Yemen The recent developments in Yemen have caused oil prices to jump on fears of disruption to supplies. However we think that the impact on production should be minimal and even in the unlikely event of... 26th March 2015 · 1 min read
