Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly OPEC+ drama ensues, Saudi-China currency swap The surprise delay to the OPEC+ meeting to next week has only added to speculation that the slide in oil prices in recent months and the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas conflict could prompt the group to... 23rd November 2023 · 7 mins read
Commodities Weekly Another sour week for oil, precious metals to shine Gold and silver prices soared this week on renewed optimism that the Fed had hiked to the peak of its monetary policy mountain. We expect prices to rise further when interest rates begin to be cut... 17th November 2023 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia: recession nearing an end The latest Saudi GDP data paint a downbeat picture in which the recession has deepened amid oil output cuts. But the good news is that the recession looks to be coming to an end. And we think the... 15th November 2023 · 4 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Kenya default risks fall, Dangote oil refinery ramps-up Kenya’s partial payment of its $2bn Eurobond will improve its chances of avoiding a sovereign default next year. Extra IMF funds and an improved balance of payment position will also help, but... 10th November 2023 · 7 mins read
Africa Economics Update Assessing public debt risks in Africa In this Update, we present our sovereign debt heat map that provides a snapshot of debt risks across Sub-Saharan Africa. Government debt is still above pre-pandemic levels and most economies we cover... 10th November 2023 · 5 mins read
Commodities Update China’s commodity imports holding up China’s import data for October indicated that its demand for commodities remains robust but we think that further growth in the next couple of months is likely to be modest. 7th November 2023 · 2 mins read
Commodities Chart Pack Commodities Overview Chart Pack (Nov. 2023) Our Commodities Overview Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. Energy and precious metal prices will remain volatile while there is a risk that the... 3rd November 2023 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly US steel price rise not structurally sound Oil prices continued to fall this week, perhaps reflecting less concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict will expand to other countries in the region and that Middle East oil supply will be negatively... 3rd November 2023 · 5 mins read
Energy Chart Pack Energy Chart Pack (Nov. 2023) Our Energy Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. Energy prices will remain historically high over the remainder of this year. The Israel-Hamas... 3rd November 2023 · 1 min read
Commodities Weekly War and weather to drive prices in short term The conflict between Israel and Hamas continued to drive commodity prices this week. Oil prices fell back while gold prices defied the stronger dollar and held steady. Events in the Middle East will... 27th October 2023 · 6 mins read
Energy Update Why isn’t the oil market more worried? We think the cautious oil market reaction to the outbreak of conflict in Israel probably reflects the huge uncertainty about the eventual outcome, but also a somewhat lower “Middle East” risk premium. 26th October 2023 · 3 mins read
Energy Update Argentina’s shale poised to rise regardless of elections Argentina’s oil and gas production growth has slowed sharply recently due to pipeline capacity constraints. New projects should ease these bottlenecks, and production should rise from 2024. Admittedly... 25th October 2023 · 4 mins read
Commodities Weekly How high can oil prices go? In view of the wider interest, we are also sending this Commodities Weekly Wrap to clients of the Energy Service. It was generally a strong week for commodity prices. Geopolitical tensions have... 20th October 2023 · 5 mins read
Latin America Economics Weekly Argentina and Ecuador’s elections, Venezuela sanctions Argentina's dire economic situation will be top of many voters’ minds when they head to the polls on Sunday, but the election will also have important geopolitical implications. An opposition victory... 20th October 2023 · 7 mins read
Latin America Economics Update Venezuela: raising oil output will be a long journey The reported deal that is close to being reached to lift US sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector in return for competitive elections would help to raise the country’s oil output from very depressed... 16th October 2023 · 3 mins read
Africa Economics Weekly Ghana inflation, Nigerian oil, IMF forecasts The fall in inflation in Ghana in September gives the central bank some leeway to consider cutting rates at its next meeting. Elsewhere, data out this week showed that Nigeria’s crude oil output rose... 13th October 2023 · 6 mins read
