Commodities Weekly

OPEC+ definitely maybe in charge of the oil market

The big news this week was the decision by some OPEC+ members to extend their voluntary output cuts until December. The immediate implications of the delay to unwinding voluntary output for the oil...

6th September 2024 · 4 mins read

Commodities Update

Recycling’s role in securing critical minerals and metals

China’s announcement last week that it would curb exports of antimony, a critical mineral, was another example of global fracturing unfolding in the commodities arena. Recycling offers an obvious way...

21st August 2024 · 3 mins read

Commodities Weekly

Escondida strike; China tightens grip on antimony

The strike at the world’s largest copper mine, Chinese export curbs on another critical mineral and the iron ore price tumbling to a yearly low rocked metals and minerals markets this week. While we...

16th August 2024 · 4 mins read

Africa Economics Weekly

Market turmoil and Africa, Uganda and Kenya rate cuts

Idiosyncratic factors seemed to play a bigger role than the recent global financial market turmoil in driving African markets this week. But while the fall in oil prices may be overdone, African...

9th August 2024 · 7 mins read

Commodities Chart Pack

Commodities Chart Pack (Aug. 2024)

Commodities have not been immune to the recent turmoil in financial markets, with the prices of most industrial metals, agricultural, and energy commodities extending their downward trends over the...

7th August 2024 · 1 min read

Commodities Update

China, not a US slowdown, the key for industrial metals

Following another leg down in industrial metals prices, this time due to growing worries about a US recession and the broader financial market carnage, we still think that prices will fall further...

7th August 2024 · 3 mins read

Africa Chart Pack

Africa Chart Pack (Jul. 2024)

GDP growth is likely to pick up over the coming quarters as inflation falls back in most SSA economies and monetary easing cycles broaden out. The external environment will remain challenging...

31st July 2024 · 0 mins read

Africa Economics Update

Weak demand holding back S. Africa’s economy

The fading drag from load-shedding was widely expected to allow a recovery in South Africa’s economy this year, but this hasn’t materialised. We think that weak demand is to blame, itself a symptom of...

31st July 2024 · 4 mins read

Commodities Weekly

Harris’ green credentials; metals slump to end

While many of Vice President Kamala Harris’ climate policies are likely to be similar to Biden’s, her track record suggests she could take a firmer stance on fossil fuel production. However...

26th July 2024 · 3 mins read

Commodities Update

Olympic medals to lose their shine before long

The start of the Paris Olympic Games today suggests that there will be renewed interest in gold, silver and bronze. We suspect that athletes will be disappointed by the fact that the Olympic medals...

25th July 2024 · 3 mins read

Emerging Europe Economics Focus

What would a Trump victory mean for Russia-Ukraine?

Donald Trump has said that he could quickly end the war in Ukraine if he is re-elected as US President. This Focus answers key questions on what the shape of any agreement might look like, what might...

23rd July 2024 · 16 mins read

Commodities Weekly

Industrial metals prices crumple, gold hits a new peak

The weaker-than-expected economic activity data for China in Q2 weighed on industrial metals prices early in the week. The mood was further darkened by the lack of any specific stimulus announcements...

19th July 2024 · 4 mins read

Commodities Update

China’s metals overcapacity to bear down on prices

While the debate around China’s manufacturing overcapacity has centred around politically sensitive topics such as electric vehicles, its industrial metals sector is no exception. Whereas the focus of...

11th July 2024 · 4 mins read

Climate Economics Update

Injecting some nuance into high hopes for hydrogen

Hydrogen could play a key role in reducing emissions in hard-to-abate sectors such as steelmaking and be a boon for countries and regions that are well placed to produce a surplus of renewable power...

10th July 2024 · 4 mins read

Commodities Chart Pack

Commodities Chart Pack (July 2024)

China overcapacity fears coming to industrial metals China’s dominant role in the world of commodities is evolving subtly. This is particularly the case for gold, where increased demand by the PBoC...

3rd July 2024 · 1 min read