Cyclicals Back in Favour as US Dollar Softens

Cyclicals Back in Favour as US Dollar Softens

ETF Securities Commodity ETP Weekly Cyclicals Back in Favour as US Dollar Softens

Long oil ETPs record the largest inflows in over two months, as current prices are deemed unsustainable.

Copper back in favour as production stops at Grasberg.

Gold ETPs suffer the 4th consecutive week of outflows.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

The correction in the US Dollar following the March FOMC meeting brought some relief to commodity prices last week. Oil and copper were once again favoured by investors, while gold continued to see outflows. Going forward, we expect demand for cyclical commodities to continue to benefit from the stimulus-driven cyclical rebound, while gold is likely to continue to feel the weight of rising interest rates in the US.

Long oil ETPs record the largest inflows in over two months, as current prices are deemed unsustainable. Total inflows into long oil products reached US$146.5mn last week, with WTI accounting for US$127.3mn. The price of WTI fell below US$45/bbl last week, the lowest level in 6 years, as US crude stockpiles soared for a tenth week, while output continued to rise. Meanwhile, the spread between Brent and WTI continue to widen, as US crude oil stocks have increased by over 70 million barrels since the beginning of 2015, putting storage facilities under pressure. We expect WTI and Brent to return to trade at around US$55/bbl and aUS$65/bbl by year end, as the massive decline in drilling activity in the US translates into substantial output cuts.

Copper back in favour as production stops at Grasberg.
ETFS Copper (COPA) recorded US$11.7mn of inflows last week, the largest in 15 weeks, after operations at Freeport’s Grasberg mine, the world’s second-largest copper producer, were suspended for 5 days due to a labour dispute. This is not the only production disruption in the copper market since the beginning of the year. Last month, BHP Billiton reported a 60,000 tonnes reduction in copper production from its Olympic Dam mine in Australia due to problems at its mill. With the copper market having been in a deficit for the past 3 years, any unplanned supply outages have the potential to send prices higher.

Gold ETPs suffer the 4th consecutive week of outflows. Despite a partial recovery in price, gold ETPs continued to see outflows last week as investors favored cyclical assets once again. The correction in the US Dollar following the March FOMC meeting last week brought some relief to commodity prices that had been severely hit by the strength in the US Dollar. Although the Federal Reserve is no longer indicating that it will be ‘patient’ in raising interest rates, beyond the bullish jobs data it has relatively little ammunition to pull the trigger on rate hikes. The Fed is likely to raise rates more slowly than the market currently expects, leading to a short-term US Dollar pull-back. Gold is likely to continue to feel the weight of rising interest rates in the US. However, currently the price of gold over-estimates the pace of that tightening, and gold can offer a relatively cheap hedge to some of the tail risks of policy mistakes that may occur as the rise of anti-establishment political parties in Europe threatens to challenge the status quo.

Key events to watch this week.
A number of manufacturing PMIs for Japan, China, the US and the Eurozone will be released this week and will help investors assess the strength of those economies. CPI releases for the US and the UK will also be monitored for any indication that higher rates may be warranted.

Video Presentation

Simona Gambarini, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Risk Warnings

Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.

If you have any questions please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Central Banks to Continue to Drive Sentiment

Central Banks to Continue to Drive Sentiment

ETF Securities Commodity ETP Weekly Central Banks to Continue to Drive Sentiment

WTI ETP investors become more polarised.

ETFS Platinum Trust (PPLT) sees US$11.5mn  of inflows while ETFS Palladium  Trust (PALL) sees US$11.8mn of outflows.

Coffee ETPs attract US$5.3mn in a volatile week of trading.

US$24.6mn of redemptions from ETFS Copper (COPA) followed China’s lowering of target growth.

Download the complete report (.pdf)

A better-than-expected labour market reading in the US released late last week should set the tone for cyclical optimism this week. However, the initial impact was a sell-off in gold and some cyclical assets as the market took the strong numbers as cue for the hawks at the Fed to start raising rates sooner than previously expected. With the ECB commencing its quantitative easing programme this week and further policy easing expected from a number of other countries, we believe that cyclical commodities will be able to shake off the recent bout of pessimism.

WTI ETP investors become more polarised. While inflows into long WTI continued for the 23rd week in a row, we saw a pick-up in flows into short WTI ETPs. Flows into the long products amounted to US$17.1mn (a three-week low) while flows into the short products amounted to US$9.1mn (a three-week high). A 5.4% gain in WTI led the longs to be victorious this week. US crude inventories continue to rise despite rigs being shut off. The glut in supply could continue for longer than many initially expected, driving the demand for WTI shorts. Additionally with the WTI futures curve in contango, investors in the short products will benefit from positive roll yield. Long Brent ETPs inflows of US$5.9mn reached the lowest level in four weeks.

ETFS Platinum Trust (PPLT) sees US$11.5mn of inflows while ETFS Palladium Trust (PALL) sees US$11.8mn of outflows. US investors appear to be switching between from palladium to platinum as its price is at historically attractive levels. The ratio of platinum to palladium price has fallen to 1.7 down from over 5.5 in 2009. While palladium has risen 6.4% in the past year, platinum has fallen 19.9%. As supply of the both metals tighten this year with a number of South African mines cutting back on production, platinum has the potential to make catch-up gains. Anglo American Platinum Ltd last Monday confirmed its plans to divest its Union and Rustenburg mines by selling or listing them as stand-alone companies.

Coffee ETPs attract US$5.3mn in a volatile week of trading. Coffee fell 6.6% on Tuesday and then rose 6.2% on Wednesday in a particularly volatile week. Continued rain in Brazil, the key producer of Arabica coffee, and increasing production in Colombia drove the price weakness. However the sharp rebound on Wednesday came amidst an interest rate hike by the Brazilian central bank. Prior Brazilian Real weakness contributed to stock off-loading by Brazilian coffee farmers. The Real appreciation that followed the rate rise could help tighten supply. The drastic decline in coffee prices in the past month appears overdone given the damage to coffee bushes had largely taken place in 2014 and the recent rain can do little to reverse that.

US$24.6mn of redemptions from ETFS Copper (COPA) followed China’s lowering of target growth. With China consuming approximately 40% of total global copper supply, its new growth target of around 7% from around 7.5% last year, has been seen to hurt demand for copper. However, we believe tightening supply will mitigate that potential loss of demand.

Video Presentation

Nitesh Shah, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

Risk Warnings

Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.

If you have any questions please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Gold in Demand as Global Risks Linger

Gold in Demand as Global Risks Linger

Commodity ETP Weekly Gold in Demand as Global Risks Linger

Highlights

Global risks drive US$435mn of inflows into long gold and oil ETPs.
Arabica coffee remains in focus on low crop expectations.
Price correction prompts US$6.3mn of inflows into ETFS Copper (COPA)

Download the complete report (.pdf)

 

Gold ETPs saw the largest inflows since August 2012 last week, as lingering global risks lifted demand for safe havens. Fears of a further slump in the euro following the ECB quantitative easing announcement last week, and Greece once again threatening the Eurozone’s unity alongside continued geopolitical risks, are likely to continue to buoy gold prices and lift demand for alternative stores of value.

Global risks drive US$435mn of inflows into long gold and oil ETPs. Although the announcement of quantitative easing (QE) by the European Central Bank (ECB) was widely anticipated, the overall size was larger than expected. At EUR60bn a month until September 2016, the ECB will purchase more than a EUR1trn over the course of the programme. The ECB clearly wants the Euro area to move out of a deflationary mind-set. Fear of a further slump in the Euro as the ECB’s looks to boost its balance sheet buoyed the gold price and prompted US$294mn of inflows into our long gold ETPs. Safe havens are likely to remain in demand this week after the Syriza party won the Greek election yesterday, raising prospects that the country will seek to renegotiate the terms of its international bailout. At the same time, oil prices trended higher on Friday as news of Saudi King Abdullah’s death added to uncertainty in energy markets. While prices might remain weak for some time, inflows into long oil ETPs have totalled over US$572mn since the beginning of the year, showing investors are becoming increasingly confident in a price rebound.

Arabica coffee remains in focus on low crop expectations.
Long coffee ETPs saw US$4mn of inflows last week as CONAB, the Brazilian forecasting authority, revised down its forecasts for the 2015/16 crop. Brazil is the biggest producer of Arabica coffee with 45% of global production. The development of the coffee trees in the country has been disappointing so far following extreme drought conditions last year. Although rainfall in November had eased the situation somewhat, since then the weather has turned dry again. This could result in a substantially lower crop this year and could prompt a price rally.

Price correction prompts US$6.3mn of inflows into ETFS Copper (COPA). Strong back-to-back weekly inflows into long copper ETPs highlights that investors deem the recent price slump excessive. China’s latest statistics showed that the country grew more than expected in 2014, at 7.4%, easing fears of a hard landing. Although China is turning its focus from construction and export dependent manufacturing to domestic consumption, demand for copper has remained strong in 2014, with imports rising for the 5th consecutive month in November. While low energy prices have dragged down metal prices by reducing their cost of production, we think negative sentiment, rather than weak fundamentals, is weighing on the copper price at the moment.

Key events to watch this week. This week Europe will remain in focus, as the new Greek government seeks to renegotiate the terms of its bailout that is set to expire at the end of February. After the BOC and the ECB surprised markets by cutting rates and announcing a full-blown QE programme respectively, the FOMC meeting on Wednesday will be closely monitored by investors for any signs of a delay in tightening by the Fed. Gold would likely benefit from the Fed highlighting any potential spill-over effect on the US economy from weak oil prices and global risks.

Video Presentation

 

Simona Gambarini, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

 

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

 

Risk Warnings

Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.

If you have any questions please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Commodities Back In Favour As Recent Correction Deemed Excessive

Commodities Back In Favour As Recent Correction Deemed Excessive

Highlights Commodities Back In Favour As Recent Correction Deemed Excessive

Precious metals back in favour with US$13mn of inflows
Long WTI crude oil ETPs record largest inflows since April 2014 as price drops below $80 for the first time since June 2012
Profit taking drives US$11mn of outflows from long coffee ETPs
Negative sentiment towards copper remains despite expected deficit in 2014

 

Download the complete report (.pdf)

 

 

While most commodity prices continued to lose ground last week, investors started to realise that prices cannot fall much further, prompting inflows into precious metals, WTI crude and agriculture. With most commodities trading at or below their marginal cost of production, we expect the recent downward correction in commodity prices to be short-lived and believe commodities are attractively valued at current levels.

Precious metals back in favour with US$13mn of inflows. With the exception of palladium, all precious metals received inflows last week reversing the negative trend seen over the past few weeks. With platinum trading 10% below its marginal cost of production and gold and silver fast approaching their breakeven levels, we believe those commodities are attractively valued. Increasing uncertainty in currency and equity markets should be beneficial to gold, while the recent pick-up in auto sales will continue to provide support to Platinum Group Metals (PGMs). While silver stocks remain elevated, we expect industrial demand to rise and buttress price action over the next few months as the recovery in the US and China gains momentum.
Long WTI crude oil ETPs record largest inflows since April 2014 as price drops below $80 for the first time since June 2012. Inflows totalled over US$20mn last week. While sentiment in the crude oil markets is negative at the moment, the US Energy Information Agency forecasts a production deficit for the remainder of 2014, which we believe is not factored in the price. We believe that if demand remains this weak OPEC will eventually cut production, helping to stabilise prices.
Profit taking drives US$11mn of outflows from long coffee ETPs. Arabica coffee has been the best performing commodity this year, with a 96% gain over the period. A weak harvest in Central America has recently exacerbated supply concerns. The International Coffee Organisation envisages only a slight recovery in the 2014/2015 season as a devastating leaf rust disease is likely to prompt switches to other crops, in turn reducing production. At the same time, agricultural basket ETPs recorded another week of strong inflows as investors deem the recent downward correction excessive. With the entire grains sector trading below total cost of production, a rebound is overdue.
Negative sentiment towards copper remains despite expected deficit in 2014. ETFS Daily Short Copper (SCOP) saw US$2.5m of inflows last week as the price dropped 2.6%. However, we believe the current price weakness will be short-lived as investors return to focus on fundamentals. The copper market will likely be in a deficit for the 5th consecutive year in 2014, according to the most recent estimates released by the International Copper Study Group. According to the revised figures, this year will see a supply deficit to the tune of 307,000 tons vs a previously expected supply surplus of 405,000 tons, on lower production and stronger demand.
Key events to watch this week. A number of Chinese economic statistics are coming out this week and will help investors gauge the strength of the economy as the PBOC introduces more stimulus. China’s Q3 GDP data will be watched closely for any sign of slowdown beyond target. Bank of England minutes will also be looked at closely as last month two policymakers voted for a rate hike, with seven voting for the status quo. A less hawkish Board meeting will likely see the downtrend for Sterling remain in place

Video Presentation

 

Simona Gambarini, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
ETF Securities (UK) Limited
T +44 (0) 207 448 4336
E info@etfsecurities.com

 

Important Information

General

This communication has been provided by ETF Securities (UK) Limited (”ETFS UK”) which is authorised and regulated by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority.

This is a strictly privileged and confidential communication between ETFS UK and its selected client. This communication contains information addressed only to a specific individual and is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person other than the named addressee. This communication (i) is provided for informational purposes only, (ii) should not be construed in any manner as any solicitation or offer to buy or sell any securities or any related financial instruments, and (iii) should not be construed in any manner as a public offer of any securities or any related financial instruments. If you are not the named addressee, you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this communication. Please notify the sender immediately if you have mistakenly received this communication. When being made within Italy, this communication is for the exclusive use of the ”qualified investors” and its circulation among the public is prohibited.

This document is not, and under no circumstances is to be construed as, an advertisement or any other step in furtherance of a public offering of shares in the United States or any province or territory thereof. Neither this document nor any copy hereof should be taken, transmitted or distributed (directly or indirectly) into the United States.

This document may contain independent market commentary prepared by ETFS UK based on publicly available information. ETFS UK does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or correctness of any information contained herein and any opinions related to product or market activity may change. Any third party data providers used to source the information in this communication make no warranties or representation of any kind relating to such data.

Any historical performance included in this document may be based on back testing. Back tested performance is purely hypothetical and is provided in this document solely for informational purposes. Back tested data does not represent actual performance and should not be interpreted as an indication of actual or future performance.

Historical performance is not an indication of or a guide to future performance.

The information contained in this communication is neither an offer for sale nor a solicitation of an offer to buy securities. This communication should not be used as the basis for any investment decision.

ETFS UK is required by the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (”FCA”) to clarify that it is not acting for you in any way in relation to the investment or investment activity to which this communication relates. In particular, ETFS UK will not provide any investment services to you and or advise you on the merits of, or make any recommendation to you in relation to, the terms of any transaction. No representative of ETFS UK is authorised to behave in any way which would lead you to believe otherwise. ETFS UK is not, therefore, responsible for providing you with the protections afforded to its clients and you should seek your own independent legal, investment and tax or other advice as you see fit.

 

Risk Warnings

Any products referenced in this document are generally aimed at sophisticated, professional and institutional investors. Any decision to invest should be based on the information contained in the prospectus (and any supplements thereto) of the relevant product issue. The price of any securities may go up or down and an investor may not get back the amount invested. Securities may valued in currencies other than those in which there are priced and will be affected by exchange rate movements. Investments in the securities which provide a short and/or leveraged exposure are only suitable for sophisticated, professional and institutional investors who understand leveraged and compounded daily returns and are willing to magnify potential losses by comparison to investments which do not incorporate these strategies. Over periods of greater than one day, investments with a short and/or leveraged exposure do not necessarily provide investors with a return equivalent to a return from the unleveraged long or unleveraged short investments multiplied by the relevant leverage factor. Investors should refer to the section entitled ”Risk Factors” in the relevant prospectus for further details of these and other risks associated with an investment in any securities referenced in this communication.

If you have any questions please contact ETFS UK at +44 20 7448 4330 or info@etfsecurities.com for more information.

Commodities at a Turning Point?

Commodities at a Turning Point?

Highlights Commodities at a Turning Point?

Gold ETPs saw first inflow in five weeks
Agricultural basket ETPs saw their largest inflows since January 2013
ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas received US$10.0mn of inflows, the highest since February 2014
Price gains in industrial metals attracted flows into copper, while driving profit-taking elsewhere

 

Download the complete report (.pdf)

 

Most commodity prices bounced back last week, attracting flows into a diverse range of commodity ETCs from gold to agricultural baskets. Gold ETPs saw their first inflows in a month as dovish Federal Open Market Committee minutes led to dollar weakness, while weak German data renewed interest in the hard defensive assets. With the exception of cocoa, all agricultural prices rose last week. Agricultural baskets saw their largest inflows in 20 months, bringing the year-to-date flows into agricultural baskets into positive territory for the first time since April 2014.

Gold ETPs saw first inflow in five weeks. Gold ETPs received US$18.3mn of inflows last week as the price of gold rose 1.2% in US dollar terms, amid US currency weakness following the dovish Federal Reserve meeting minutes release. With gold prices having fallen close to the marginal cost of production and speculative futures market shorts positions having risen close to all-time highs, last week’s bounce could trigger a short-covering rally helping to sustain momentum in the upward trend. Additionally weak data from Germany unscored the fragile state of the Euro area, bolstering the case for further easing from the European Central Bank, which may strengthen demand for gold as a monetary metal. At the same time physical demand for the gold is likely to see a seasonal lift from the upcoming Diwali celebrations in India (23rd October).

Agricultural basket ETPs saw their largest inflows since January 2013. In particular, with US$22.7mn of inflows, ETFS Agriculture (AIGA) saw its largest inflow since inception (2006). That marks a decisive change in sentiment toward agricultural commodities, where speculative futures market shorts for wheat, corn, soy and sugar have risen to near-record highs amid bumper crop expectations. Corn prices rose 6.8% last week as US exports for the crop picked up strongly. Wheat ETPs saw their first outflow in 21 weeks. Investors had been steadily building positions in wheat as the price slid to the lowest level since 2010. Last week’s 2.2% bounce in price led to some profit-taking.

ETFS Daily Leveraged Natural Gas received US$10.0mn of inflows, the highest since February 2014. While most commodity prices rose last week, energy prices bucked the trend. With US natural gas prices falling a further 3.8% last week, investors bought leveraged exposure, expecting a seasonal increase in demand to shake out the bearish sentiment toward the commodity. Price gains in industrial metals attracted flows into copper, while driving profittaking elsewhere. With the exception of tin, all industrial metal prices rose last week.

ETFS Copper (COPA) received its first inflow in six weeks. Meanwhile profit taking saw US$11.1mn of outflows from ETFS Aluminium (ALUM), adding to the US$59.9mn of outflows the previous week, reversing all of the strong inflows we saw in July and August. ETFS Zinc (ZINC) saw US$2.9mn of outflows, the largest in eight weeks.

Key events to watch this week. A raft of Chinese economic data releases will help investors gauge the strength of the economy that drives the bulk of commodity demand globally. Chinese trade, loan growth, money supply growth, inflation and FX reserves growth data are due to be released next week. US retail sales will be closely watched as the Fed assesses the capacity of the US economy to accommodate rate increases next year.

Video Presentation

 

Nitesh Shah, Research Analyst at ETF Securities provides an analysis of last week’s performance, flow and trading activity in commodity exchange traded products and a look at the week ahead.

For more information contact

ETF Securities Research team
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