Industrial Metals Update Fears, not facts, driving copper prices lower The recent slump in copper prices has more to do with investors’ fears about China’s future copperdemand, than with the reality of Chinese copper usage. As such, we would expect a sharp rebound... 19th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Why hasn’t China’s new resource tax led to higher REE prices? The costs of rare earth elements (REEs) have continued to fall despite China’s new tax regime. However, we think that it is only a matter of time before higher taxes and positive demandfundamentals... 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Lead and zinc markets set to tighten Subdued demand in the first half of this year meant that the lead and zinc markets were in surplus. However, with supply expected to tighten and demand to strengthen, prices should pick up from here. 18th August 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update No respite for commodities yet Commodity prices have continued their decline over the past month, with both the GSCI and Bloomberg commodity indices falling to levels last seen in mid-2009. As a result, the gulf between returns... 17th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Will the fall in aluminium prices lead to output cuts? The sharp fall in aluminium prices this year could be expected to lead to output cuts across the industry. But with China’s production less sensitive to prices, output cuts are more likely elsewhere... 14th August 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Chart Pack Investor sentiment plumbs new lows The S&P GSCI industrial metals index has now fallen by nearly 10% since the end of the second quarter. A deterioration in investor sentiment weighed on prices throughout most of July, while the... 13th August 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update What China’s ‘‘devaluation’’ means for commodity prices All else equal, a weaker renminbi means that US dollar-denominated commodities will be more expensive in local currency terms for Chinese buyers. However, with the renminbi unlikely to go into... 12th August 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Watch Solid fundamentals should support lead prices By setting a lower mid-point for the renminbi’s trading band the People’s Bank has sparked speculation that it is embarking on a competitive devaluation of the currency in order to shore up exports... 7th August 2015 · 1 min read
Global Markets Update Copper prices could eventually boost equities in Chile and Peru Our bullish view on copper prices suggests that stock markets in Chile and Peru could outperform over the medium-term, but persistently low oil prices look set to be an unwanted headwind for equities... 5th August 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update Industrial metals weakness to hasten silver supply decline Silver might soon be in a shortage as low commodity prices prompt further capital expenditure cuts across primary and secondary mines. Silver is often mined as a by-product of copper, gold, zinc, and... 31st July 2015 · 1 min read
Latin America Data Response Chile Retail Sales, Ind. Prod. & Copper Prod. (Jun.) Activity data from Chile were stronger than expected in June but, as a result of softer figures for April and May, we still think that GDP growth in Q2 will be weaker than in Q1. 30th July 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Update Investor sentiment towards commodities tanks Broad-based weakness saw industrial commodity price indices slip between mid-June and mid-July. The S&P GSCI agriculture index bucked the trend, although it too has eased back recently. What’s more... 22nd July 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response Global Steel Production (Jun. 15) World Steel Association (WSA) data for June show a 2.4% y/y decline in global steel output, with falls in most of the largest producers. 22nd July 2015 · 1 min read
Industrial Metals Update China's refined nickel imports finally take off Prices may be plumbing new lows, but the detailed Chinese trade data are pointing to some positive trends in metal demand. In particular, the surge in nickel imports in June suggests that the domestic... 21st July 2015 · 1 min read
Metals Data Response Global Aluminium Production (Jun. 15) According to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), global aluminium production slipped by less than 1% m/m in June, but still grew by over 10% y/y in the first half. However, output in the... 20th July 2015 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly Commodities struggle as dollar dominates Losers again outweighed winners this week. Oil dropped in anticipation of the easing of sanctions on Iran, although the near-term prospects for prices may depend more on sentiment towards China and... 17th July 2015 · 1 min read
