Metals Chart Pack Risk appetite to support base metals prices for now The prices of industrial metals continued to surge in December, capping off a strong 2020. However, we expect that prices will fall this year as growth in China’s demand slows on the back of the... 8th January 2021 · 6 mins read
Commodities Update China slowdown will weigh on metals prices in 2021 China’s December PMI readings suggest that the pace of economic expansion has started to ease, which chimes with our view that the demand for and, prices of, most metals will fall this year. 4th January 2021 · 2 mins read
Metals Data Response Global Steel Production (Nov.) Growth in global steel production fell in November, in part because cold weather in China weighed on construction activity there. Nevertheless, we expect global output to remain high in 2021 as... 22nd December 2020 · 2 mins read
Metals Data Response Global Aluminium Production (Nov.) Global aluminium production held up well in November and, given the recent surge in prices, will almost certainly increase in the coming months. 21st December 2020 · 2 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Iron ore market to swing into a surplus next year The price of iron ore has skyrocketed recently, to over $155 per tonne. However, we think that the price will decline in 2021 as demand in China weakens at a time of rising supply. 18th December 2020 · 2 mins read
Industrial Metals Update The upside risks to our 2021 price forecasts We think that industrial metals prices will ease back in 2021 primarily because we expect growth in China’s demand to slow. However, we acknowledge that there are some upside risks to our price... 17th December 2020 · 3 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Taking stock of 2020 After rising steadily in the first half of the year as virus-containment measures curbed metals consumption, exchange stocks have since started to be drawn down. While this tallies with the robust... 15th December 2020 · 5 mins read
Commodities Weekly Oil prices begin to claw back lost ground Despite the re-introduction of lockdown measures in some US states, industrial commodities prices continued to rise this week on the back of ongoing hopes of a vaccine-induced economic boom next year... 11th December 2020 · 7 mins read
Metals Chart Pack Metals on a tear, for now Industrial metals prices rallied in November. While we expect demand growth to stay strong in the months ahead, on the back of robust economic activity in China, we think that it will slow in 2021 as... 4th December 2020 · 6 mins read
Commodities Chart Pack Vaccines mean higher commodity demand in 2021 A flurry of positive news surrounding effective COVID-19 vaccines gave a lift to most commodity prices in November, as a faster easing of virus containment measures next year should provide a lift to... 1st December 2020 · 7 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Metals prices to run out of steam, despite vaccine We think that the withdrawal of fiscal stimulus in China will offset any vaccine-induced boost to metals demand in 2021. And with supply bouncing back, we expect the prices of industrial metals to dip... 27th November 2020 · 3 mins read
Industrial Metals Update New copper contract could shift pricing power to China The launch of a new copper futures contract in China should help shift pricing power in metals markets towards Asia, but the contract will not immediately become a new global benchmark. 25th November 2020 · 3 mins read
Metals Data Response Global Steel Production (Oct.) Despite the slight fall in China, global steel production continued to rise in October and will probably increase further in the year ahead providing that the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is... 24th November 2020 · 2 mins read
Metals Data Response Global Aluminium Production (Oct.) Ongoing strength in China’s aluminium production meant that global aluminium output continued to grow in October. And despite the winter environmental restrictions in China, supply there is set to... 20th November 2020 · 2 mins read
Industrial Metals Update China metals demand to taper off in 2021 Ongoing policy stimulus in China should continue to boost investment and industrial output in the coming months. However, we expect economic activity to gradually slow by end-2021 which is why we... 18th November 2020 · 3 mins read
Industrial Metals Update Political gridlock will rein in any Green New Deal The apparent failure of the Democratic Party to win a ‘clean sweep’ in this week’s US election means that many of the policy initiatives and spending proposals made by presidential hopeful, Joe Biden... 6th November 2020 · 3 mins read